Disclaimer: Nothing's mine but the plot! Song's Heart Heart Heartbreak by Boys Like Girls! I only used the chorus because the rest of the song doesn't really go with it but I think it sums up Sachiko and Yumi's relationship nicely!

Don't.

"Yumi..."

Don't.

And then her slender arms are wrapping around your waist and you can feel yourself falling for her again- just when you thought you had a chance of getting over her...as soon as you see her face you know that you can't. That you can make yourself think you're over it but you're not and you'll never be.

"Yumi, please...look at me..."

And she's pleading, and you don't want to turn around but you do and she's looking at you with those eyes like you knew she would be and there's the pain but it doesn't change anything. She can hurt and hurt until it kills her but she'll never leave him.

"Yumi, I-"

"Please, onee-sama." You hear yourself whisper the words- they're more strained than you had intended them to be and it surprises you but you can barely speak. Don't.

Headed for a heart heart heartbreak,

And I don't ever ever wanna hear you say...

And now she's closer- when did she move so close?- and she's taken your hand and she's looking at you and oh, you're breaking inside. She's looking down at you and she's about to cry and she's losing her precious composure, the one thing that's been hers and hers alone for so long- her mask is wearing thin and it's the most beautiful thing in the world.

But somehow you manage to turn away and fold your arms over your stomach like a shield because she's already hurt you so much. And you love her- you always have and she'll always be the only one but sometimes you just want to get in her face and shout at her to just open her eyes because if she would just look at you she would see what she's doing to you. But she is your onee-sama, and you'll be a good petite soeur and be silent.

So you walk to the door, leaving her staring behind you and you don't turn back because you know if you do then the whole world will fall apart because it's been crumbling for a while now.

Headed for a heart heart heartbreak,

I'm gonna gonna turn around and walk away!

And then a soft hand wraps around your wrist and you're forced to turn around and look directly into those beautiful eyes.

"Yumi."

She's crying now and for some reason you can't look away- you wouldn't know it if it weren't for the silent tears that were trailing down her face. She's not making any sound.

"O-onee-sama..." You're losing your resolve and you want to kick yourself because no matter what comes of tonight there will never be a you and her. Only a ghost of a dream that could never have been. "Please...don't..." And now you're pleading with her, asking just one last time.

Beating me down with the same conversation,

"We've talked about this, Yumi," she's saying, and suddenly it's as if she's talking through a sheet of glass because the barrier is lowering as her voice grows in strength. "You've known from the beginning that there was no other option." And there it is again, that same excuse and the same words that she's been repeating and even though her voice is soft and the words are whispered it shatters your heart like it's glass and briefly you wonder at what a cruel God He must be for having made them so fragile.

Don't say you love me tonight.

And you turn away again because unlike your beloved onee-sama, your tears are not dainty and singular. They come in great gushes, streaming down your cheeks as you put your hand over your mouth to silence the sobs but your shoulders are shaking and you know she sees.

And she wraps her arms around you because she just doesn't seem to understand that you just want to leave- need to leave but it's pathetic because if you're honest you really don't. You want to stay like this forever, here in the Rose Mansion, the place that you've spent so much time in together. But the sight of the teacups in the cupboard reminds you that you won't be alone for much longer.

And she has the same thing in mind because she loosens her grip and her chest heaves in a sigh like it has so many times before and she's cupping your cheek in her hand. "I'm sorry," she whispers. "I'm not brave like you, Yumi. I can't just run away."

Yeah we're headed for a heart heart heartbreak,

And I don't ever, ever wanna hear you say...

And that's so ironic that you allow a single laugh to escape, although mixed with your sobs it sounds more like a harsh cough. It's the first time you've ever heard of running away to be a brave thing. And then you make for the door again as you see the others starting to arrive but she's got you by the wrist again, hasn't she?

"But Yumi, I want you to know," she says urgently, and a couple salty droplets stain the skin of your hand, "I need you to know...no matter what, I'll always-"

But she can't continue because you've pressed your finger to her lips (soft like silk). The tears are cascading down your face by now and you know your features are deformed by the lump in your throat that just won't be swallowed, no matter how hard you try. "D-don't," you manage to choke as you push away from her. "Don't, please."

Don't say you love me, don't even-

And then you're running before she can stop you again, bursting through the door and darting past the figures in the doorway because you're running too fast and your eyesight's too blurry to name them and their names don't matter at all. Vaguely, you can hear Yoshino's voice calling after you but that just makes you want to run faster because it's the wrong voice, after all.

Don't say you love me, you're leaving.