Author's Note: This fanfiction is loosely based on Gumi and Rin's song "Always and Forever". And, yes, it is yuri/shojo-ai/girls' love. All my chapter titles are line or parts of lines from the song. Also, the reason why I gave them different hairstyles than their standard styles is that this chapter happens two years before the rest of the story. I also made it so that all the characters (minus Kaito and Kiyoteru) are the same age, which is 16 after this chapter. And the story will flip between Gumi's and Rin's POV. Enjoy! Please read and review!

Chapter One

Wandering the Maze of Love

Two years ago . . .

Rin gazed in her bedroom mirror, her fingers running through her incredibly short hair as she grimaced at her reflection. In order to get a new start this semester, she'd decided to get a new haircut, and she was not pleased with it. She looked like a boy. Her hair was cut so short that it didn't even reach past her chin, and, because it was so short, there was nothing she could do to style it without it looking ridiculous. She couldn't even tie bows or ribbons in it. The large white bow that had been omnipresent all the previous semester looked completely out of place with the new style, so even that was out of the question. She looked at the white bow on her vanity table ruefully, wanting to where it for a reason deeper than the superficial fact that it made her look really cute. She wanted to wear it because it had been given to her by someone very important to her.

Rin started when a noise came from her window. She gazed at the window on the opposite side of her large room as another pebble was thrown at the glass pane. She grinned and made her way over to the window as more and more pebbles smacked against the glass. Sure enough, she was greeted with a smile and a wave from the streets below. Rin shoved the window open and shouted down, "Stop trying to break my window!"

"Just trying to make sure you were awake!" called back the visitor. "Wanna walk to school together?"

"Sure! One second, I'll be right down!"

"Hurry up, don't make me late!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Rin smiled as she closed her window. She cast a last look at her hopeless hair in the mirror and sighed, gazing longingly at the abandoned white bow. She checked to make sure no one was watching–not that anyone would be–and slipped the bow into her bag. She couldn't bare to leave it behind. Then, she rushed downstairs and exited into the faint chill of the crisp morning. Her friend stood there, waiting.

"Morning, Gumi," greeted Rin, feeling her heart speed up a little as she smiled at the green-haired girl.

"Morning," repeated Gumi. "Let's go."

They began their trek to school, which required plowing through a dew-filled meadow that hid behind Rin's home. Gumi and Rin had always played there when they were younger, and they'd still go sit out there sometimes when the weather was nice, but it was a pain to go through every morning when the long, dew-covered grass would scratch against their bare legs. The miniskirt of their sailor uniforms didn't do much for protecting them from the itchy grass. Gumi had taken to wearing black leggings that went up to her thighs, but when Rin had tried that, it hadn't had the same effect it had on Gumi's long, slender legs. So she was stuck dealing with the full wrath of the meadow which had once nurtured them.

Gumi was walking in front of Rin, so Rin was free to gaze at her without fear of being caught. Gumi was a good bit taller that Rin, and she also had a more feminine, sporty figure that had developed when she joined the tennis team. Her green hair already fell past her waist, but she claimed that she still wanted it to be longer. Rin had the feeling she was competing with Miku, one of their classmates, who was also on the tennis team.

Rin couldn't help but feel a sting of jealousy when she thought of that. Miku seemed to be rather important to Gumi, maybe more important than Rin was to her.

Rin shook her head, embarrassed to have such thoughts in her head. If Gumi knew that Rin thought such things, how would she react? She'd probably get annoyed and impatient at Rin's insecurity. Gumi was so outgoing and sure of herself. Having such a soft-spoken, shy girl as her best friend must have been difficult for her.

Gumi twirled around to face Rin. Rin's face turned red, wondering if she'd been caught, but then she realized there was no way Gumi could know she'd been watching her.

"What happened to the bow I gave you?" questioned the green-haired girl.

Rin's heart fluttered. She hoped Gumi wouldn't notice her nervousness. "It just looks silly with my stupid new haircut," explained Rin, grasping a short lock of hair to try to demonstrate.

Gumi shrugged and turned back around, though she slowed her pace to walk side by side with Rin. "You still look cute, even with really short hair."

Rin laughed, though the compliment had pleased her. "Please. I look like a boy. I'd be screwed if it was a new school year. People would mistake me for a cross-dresser."

"No way. You're too cute for anyone to really think you're a boy." Gumi took a lock of Rin's hair between her fingers, her glittering green eyes running along the short stands. Rin's hammering heart felt like it would explode. Her eyes squeezed shut as she attempted to control herself. Gumi continued. "See, if had that hair, I'd look like a boy."

"No way," Rin denied passionately, astounded that Gumi could even think that. "You're too pretty to ever be mistaken for a boy." She bit down on her tongue. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. She'd gotten too carried away. She cringed, tensely awaiting Gumi's reaction.

But then Gumi smiled at her, a smile that sent Rin reeling and made her worry that he legs would buckle beneath her. "If you say so." Gumi then released Rin's hair and faced forward again. They resumed walking together in comfortable silence.

It was always like this when Rin was with Gumi. The other girl made her heart start racing and caused her face to flush. Rin had only noticed this recently, when Gumi had given her the white bow, which was hidden in Rin's backpack, and it had only caused Rin to get more confused. She was too scared to share her feelings, but it was so stressful being with Gumi when all these complicated emotions were muddling Rin's thoughts. Rin found herself being more and more careful about how she acted with Gumi, afraid that her feelings would be too obvious if she didn't exercise caution. After all, Gumi would never feel the same way, and if she did, she was so brave that she would have mentioned it long ago.

Rin and Gumi continued their walk, caught up in their own thoughts and extremely aware of each other, though neither spoke a single word.

. . .

Gumi leaned back in her seat and groaned. Rin, who sat in the seat behind her, moved her books out of the way as Gumi's head fell onto the blonde's desk, her chair tipped as far back as she could get it. Rin grinned.

"C'mon, Gumi, we've only been back for one day. You had to do homework during summer break anyway, right?" consoled Rin.

"But sitting still for so long just sucks! I want to go home! I'm so bored!" whined Gumi.

"You still have tennis after this," pointed out Rin, rolling her eyes at her friend's immaturity. Gumi was always like this at school.

Gumi closed her eyes and let out an irritated noise. "Ugh, don't remind me."

"Well, that's not the kind of spirit you should be having," came another voice.

A girl with teal hair, tied up in a single ponytail that fell down to her knees and was tied up behind her head, came over to sit in the vacated seat next to Gumi's. Rin couldn't help but get a little tense when the girl arrived, jealousy prickling uncomfortably beneath her skin.

"I'm gonna tell the rest of the team you said that," teased the new girl.

"Miku," moaned Gumi. "Leave me alone. I'm trying to die here."

"Well, I can't allow that. We need you on the team."

"But it takes too much energy," whined Gumi.

Miku flicked Gumi playfully on the forehead. "Quit being lazy."

"Don't flick me!"

"I'll flick you if I want to," retorted Miku, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.

"You can't just go around flicking people!" exclaimed Gumi, opening one eye to glare at Miku.

"I don't go around flicking people, just you."

Rin watched as the two bantered back and forth, again feeling a sharp pang of jealousy. She wanted to join in the conversation, and she ran through things she could say a few times in her head, but she couldn't manage to have the words leave her mouth. So she just sat there and hoped Gumi would remember her sometime soon.

"Anyway, we gotta go," said Miku, dragging a lethargic Gumi to her feet. "Bye, Rin! See you tomorrow!" Miku cast Rin and smile, which Rin then felt obliged to return. Miku dragged Gumi away, and Gumi waved briefly to Rin before darting out of Miku's grip and racing the teal-haired girl to the gym.

Rin was the only one left in the class at this point, so complete silence surrounded her as she packed her bag up. She lifted to bow out and ran her finger across the silky fabric, a sad smile forming. Then, she left the classroom behind and headed home by herself.

. . .

Gumi had come over to Rin's house after her tennis practice and was currently splayed out across Rin's bed as Rin tried different styles with her hair in the mirror. Rin was ninety-nine percent sure that Gumi had fallen asleep, as she hadn't made a sound in over an hour. Rin frowned at her reflection and tugged out the ribbon she'd been working with, letting out an irritated sigh. Giving up for the moment, she went over to where Gumi was lying and gazed at the girl's closed eyes. Gumi's full, dark eyelashes fluttered a little as dreams ran through the green-haired girl's mind. Rin smiled at how peaceful the girl looked. Longing filled her soul, and, before she knew it, she was leaning in, drawing her face closer to the other girl's. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her face flushed such a bright red that it made her head reel. She placed her palm on the bed for support as she leaned closer.

And then her head collided with Gumi's as Gumi shot up with a yelp. Rin stumbled backward, new dizziness joining the old as she groaned, putting a hand to her forehead, which now pounding from banging against Gumi. She winced and looked at Gumi, who was in a similar position.

"What the heck was that for?" exclaimed Gumi, rubbing her aching forehead.

"W-was what for?" stammered Rin. Oh no, oh no, oh no! She'd been caught! Now Gumi would know how she felt!

Gumi gave Rin an irritated, unimpressed look. "You tugged on my hair and then made me head butt with you! If you wanted me to wake up, you could've tried a nicer method that didn't kill all my brain cells!"

Rin froze, relief coursing through her. She hadn't been caught. When she'd leaned on the bed, she'd also leaned on Gumi's unreasonably long hair, causing it to tug on Gumi's head and wake her up. Gumi didn't think anything beyond that had happened.

"You're a deep sleeper," said Rin with a shrug.

"Dummy," grumbled Gumi, rubbing her sore head. "Why did you have to wake me up?"

Rin scrambled for an excuse. "Um, we haven't done any homework yet. And I have something to give you."

"A present?" questioned Gumi, suddenly more awake than she had been all day. Rin couldn't help but notice that Gumi had completely ignored the part about homework. Typical. "What for?"

Rin turned away and kneeled in front of her backpack, which on the ground beside her bedroom door. "No reason. I just thought I should get you something, since you got me the ribbon and all," murmured Rin as she rummaged through her backpack. Her heart was racing again. She struggled to control it as she held out a small shopping bag to Gumi.

Gumi took he bag eagerly and pulled out the gift. She dangled it in front of her face curiously. "Goggles?" she wondered. The goggles had a black frame and their lenses were red. Rin had seen them when she had gone to the shopping district on the way home.

Rin nodded, self-conscious of the gift now that she'd actually given it to Gumi. "I thought they'd look good on you," she said softly, averting her gaze.

When she gathered enough courage to look back, Gumi had put the goggles on, though the lenses were on the top of her head instead of over her eyes. She smiled broadly at Rin. "I love them," she told her, causing Rin to smile in return.

Rin cleared her throat and looked away before any more redness could come to her cheeks. "Now, onto homework."

Gumi groaned. "No, Rin, don't make me do it!"

Rin set their books at the short table in her room. "You're doing it."

After some arguing, Gumi resigned herself to her fate and took a seat at the table. They had barely started on their homework when she spoke again.

"I've decided," she announced. Rin looked up from her schoolwork with a glare to show that she was unimpressed at Gumi's short attention span. "I'm not gonna go to high school!"

Rin was shocked. Sure, high school was optional in Japan, but still, most students continued on. She couldn't understand why Gumi would refuse to continue. Well, actually, she could, but the reason wasn't very impressive. Rin looked down at her schoolwork with an exasperated sigh. "Miku's right. You are lazy."

Gumi went silent, noting the slight bitter note in Rin's voice that the blonde had tried so hard to hide. Finally, she wondered aloud, "Are you jealous of Miku?"

"Not at all," said Rin, wearing the cat. Her voice was surprisingly steady as she continued in an almost monotone voice. "Why would you think that?"

Rin heard the rustling of clothes as Gumi looked back at her papers. "Never mind." For a moment, Rin could have sworn that she heard disappointment in Gumi's voice. She shook her head. No way. She was imagining it.

Silence fell over them as they worked, until Rin couldn't take it any longer. She said, not looking up, "I want you to go to highschool. That way, we can go to the same one."

More silence followed, until finally Gumi said, "You're right. I'll go to highschool with you. How else can we stay friends?"

Rin and Gumi looked up simultaneously and smiled to each other. It had all seemed so simple at the time. But, life was complicated, and they'd find that out sooner or later.