Author's Note: This story. It's like my child. I have nursed it for weeks. It is the apple of my eye, the sunshine in my life, my reason for waking up in the morning. ...Okay, maybe it's not all that. But it still means a heck of a lot to me. But yeah, I've been working on this for a while. I've edited the first chapter so many times, so I really hope there are no problems with it. If there are, please let me know and I will do what I can to fix it.

Dedication: To my sister, Julia. For putting up with me and reading all my chapters. She's the one that tells me if I wrote something stupid. And she's the one that convinces me that my work is pretty good. She's also the one that is sitting next to me now as I write this. She's calming me down because I am so nervous about posting my baby. (Julia's penname is J-awesomeness. Her stuff is great. Read it and review it, please!)

Notes: This fic is set in the future. During Yumi's senior year at Kadic High, so about 2 years or so after the series finale.

Their ages are as followed:
Yumi: 18
Ulrich: 17
Odd: 17
Jeremie: 16
Aelita: 16

Also, italics are song lyrics. It's a good song. You should listen to it. :)

Happy readings!

I have reason to believe that I have victories to taste.
I can feel them on my teeth, upon my lips, and in my chest.
I can roll them on my tongue, you're more subtle then defeat.
I feel the tension in my lungs, and every move is filled by my resolve.
-Dashboard Confessional, Reason to Believe

"Surprise!" Four exuberant teenagers yelled as a tall, dark haired girl opened the door.

Yumi laughed appreciatively, looking around the room at her friends. Jeremie's dorm had been decorated in honor of her up-and-coming graduation. A banner hung over his computer that read "We'll miss you, Yumi!" and food littered the table.

As Aelita rushed to Yumi's side, Odd blew a party favor in Ulrich's ear, causing him to push the smaller blonde away.

"Congratulations, Yumi," Jeremie spoke from his seat in front of the computer, away from the chaos that surrounded him.

"Thanks, everyone. This is really nice of you guys to do this," Yumi said, pulling away from Aelita's embrace. She smiled warmly at her closest friends. They returned the smiles, and Aelita motioned for Yumi to sit next to her on the bed.

"Of course! We wanted to do something nice. I can't believe you'll be leaving Kadic soon," Aelita said. "You'll be leaving me with all the boys!"

She and Yumi shared a laugh at the boys' expense. Jeremie and Ulrich chuckled along. Odd, from his seat on the floor, brandished a pretzel at the giggling girls.

"I'll have you know that I am wonderful company. Positively fantastic! Princess, you'll be fine with me!" he boasted, crumbs falling from his full mouth. Jeremie snorted at this remark and rolled his eyes. Sliding down the wall to sit next to Odd, Ulrich gave his friend a shove on the shoulder.

"Oh yeah? And just how long was that last relationship of yours? Three days?" he teased lightly. Odd shrugged his shoulders, munching on another pretzel. This caused the group to laugh again.

On the bed next to her, Aelita started braiding small sections of Yumi's raven hair. She calmed down from laughing and looked at Yumi. "You know, I really am going to miss you," Aelita spoke softly. Yumi smiled at the younger girl, stroking her hair gently.

"It's alright. I'm not going too far," Yumi comforted her. "I'll only be about two hours away. We'll still hang out sometimes, and e-mail all the time."

They sat in silence, watching Ulrich and Odd throw pretzels at each other while Jeremie tried unsuccessfully to settle them down. Yumi sat in deep thought knowing that this time in two weeks, she would already miss her friends more than she could say.

She wondered if, at college, there would be a genius like Jeremie, to answer all her questions. Or if there would be a jokester like Odd, who would make her laugh constantly, no matter what. Or if there would be a best friend like Aelita, to complain to for an hour about boys, or brothers, or homework, or anything at all. Or if there would be a boy like Ulrich, who would make her heart race with a single glance, with a single touch, with a single fight.

No, she didn't want another Ulrich. She wanted someone different. She and Ulrich were done. There was nothing left to visit.

A range of emotions flashed upon Yumi's face and Aelita noticed her friend seemed miles away.

"Yumi? What's wrong? What are you thinking about?"

Aelita followed her friend's eyes and saw that they laid upon Ulrich's laughing features. Comprehension dawned on the pink-haired girl's face.

"Oh," she breathed. "Yumi, are you going to talk to Ulrich before you graduate?"

Yumi shook her head, not looking directly into Aelita's eyes.

"There's nothing to talk about," she lied. "I just want to go to college and move on. I need to be away from Ulrich. We're better off as friends, but it's just so hard."

She played with a stray thread that had come loose from the brown comforter.

"I need to be away from him," she repeated.

The room suddenly fell silent. Yumi looked up at the lack of noise, surprised to see four sets of eyes all staring at her. She felt the blood drain from her face and her eyes widened.

They heard her.

Tension hung heavy in the air, no one said anything. Her words seemed to float in the air, facing each occupant of the room. Jeremie's mouth opened and closed as though he forgot how to speak. Odd looked back and forth between her and Ulrich, excited as to who would speak first. Aelita appeared apprehensive as she stared at Ulrich.

Feeling as though her throat was closing up, Yumi swallowed hard. Her eyes fell upon Ulrich and she felt her heart skip. He glared out at Yumi from under his shaggy hair. His gaze was fierce, locking her in place. Every muscle in his body was taunt, ready to spring into a fight.

"So," Odd broke the tension, rocking back and forth on the floor, eagerly watching. "Are you really going to take that, Ulrich buddy?" He blinked rapidly, ready to watch the inevitable fight begin.

"Uh," Jeremie started, "maybe we should leave them alone for a moment." He got off his computer chair gingerly, and nudged Odd. He held a hand out to Aelita, who accepted wordlessly, still gaping at Ulrich's expression. The three of them made their way out the door. Odd lingered before shutting it completely.

There was no doubt in Yumi's mind that Odd stood listening at the door. Chances were, though, he wouldn't have to strain his ears too much. Yumi knew she and Ulrich had a tendency to raise their voices when moments were tense. Everyone in the school knew that.

"Is it true?" Ulrich asked, not moving an inch from his spot on the floor. His voice fell low in his throat, deeper and raspier than before.

Yumi nodded, looking off to side, avoiding his gaze. The air chilled around her, pickling goose bumps on her skin. She rubbed her arms, trying to create some friction to warm herself up.

The banner looked so pathetically out of place now. Pretzels strewn across the floor no longer looked comical. Yumi stared at them all, picturing them as fallen and abandoned. She tried to count how many lay lonely on the floor. Anything to keep her focus off of Ulrich.

One, two, three…

Four, five, five, wait... Her focus failed her.

Her attentions fell to him again as he stirred. He stood up slowly, and stretched his legs out, warming up for the coming fight.

Snapped out of her thoughts, Yumi pulled herself together again.

"I'm sorry, Ulrich," she started. She really was sorry. Sorry it didn't work out, sorry she didn't tell him, sorry she was leaving, sorry for everything. "I tried to talk to you before. I mean, we talked about this before."

Every quick word she spoke gave her more strength to continue. Her words grew more confident with each one spoken.

"You and me, we're better off as friends. You agree, right? You did before."

Ulrich laughed. The sound grated Yumi's ears. This was not a pleasant laugh, not one caused by one of Odd's lame jokes. This was harsh and cruel and so entirely not what a laugh should be. It definitely wasn't a laugh she was used to hearing from Ulrich.

"That was years ago! But you know what, if you want to bring stuff up from years ago, here's a good one. You promised we would 'have more adventures,' and I believed you!" He laughed again and Yumi really wished he would stop. "I know I'm not that smart, but that was really dumb, huh?"

His shoulders trembled with each hacking laugh. "Oh, come on and laugh with me. I'll bet you laughed behind my back all the time. Probably with William!"

That taunt, that deliberate jab ignited a fire within Yumi.

"That's it! Stop it! Stop laughing! Nothing, absolutely nothing has ever happened with William! I told you this over and over again!" Yumi felt her hands ball up into fists. Her face grew hot with indignation and her eyes narrowed in fury.

"This is why we have to be just friends! You get too jealous! I get too jealous! Every time I see Sissy or Emily or any girl who ever starts to like you!" Her words flew out of her mouth. She had held this in for far too long.

Yumi and Ulrich glared fiercely, their stances perfectly mirroring each other's. Stiff muscles, clenched fists, frustrated features, they both leaned forward. They stood only a foot away from each other, the anger radiating off their bodies creating an insufferable atmosphere that had held friendship and laughter only minutes before.

Yumi took a step towards him, hardly aware that she just stepped on a pretzel. Oh well, she must have already looked ridiculous with her hair half in braids. What are some pretzel crumbs going to hurt?

"I've told you a hundred times, there's nothing going on between me and any other girl! It's only you! It's only ever been you," Ulrich stressed the last words, trying desperately to make Yumi understand. His words grew louder and harsher.

Only he didn't have to try so hard. Yumi understood perfectly. She had known for years, since the first time she told him she wanted to be friends. Just friends. She knew why this was so hard.

"I know it's only ever been me," Yumi spoke softer then before. "It's only ever been you, too. I thought you knew that."

Doubt swam in Ulrich's hazel eyes. He stood unwary of what she meant.

"What-" he started before Yumi held up a hand to stop him. Thankfully he quieted, crossing his arms as a defense against anything she might say.

"Look, you and I have been, well, dancing around this for years. For the longest time, I've wanted to be with you. And I'm pretty sure that you wanted that, too," Yumi spoke slowly, trying not to overwhelm him. This was so hard for her to say. Ulrich stood unwaveringly, still uncertain about what Yumi was saying.

Yumi took a deep breath before continuing.

"I mean, it was one thing when Lyoko was still around. We never knew if the battle was going to be our last, or if Aelita and Jeremie would save us in time. We didn't know when we would be able to shut the Super Computer off for good. We grew up faster because of that. Maybe you and I only cared about each other the way we did because we thought that was all we were ever going to know. Or maybe not. I don't know. When the Super Computer was shut down, we got a chance to be teenagers again."

Yumi felt light headed. She had held this inside for over a year, carefully imagining the best way she could tell these secret thoughts to him. Watching him as he stared her down was hardly the scenario she had pictured.

How would he respond now that she finally divulged her secret to him? The look on his face killed her. Betrayal, suspicion, distress. How could she hope to make him understand why she was saying this? Too late to back out, Yumi plunged forward.

"If you and I were together, that would be it," she finished lamely. How else could she say this without saying everything? "Ulrich, if I were to be with you… That would be it for me. You're the only person I'd ever want to be with. And you, well, I don't know if I'm the only person that you'd ever want to be with."

Ulrich opened his mouth to say something, to protest, to stop her, anything, but Yumi talked over his attempt to interrupt.

"I doubt that's the case, but even so… Ulrich, I don't want us to be limited."

It seemed as though Ulrich had no idea which expression to settle on. Confusion, to disbelief, to hurt, to betrayal. They all morphed into one another, contorting his handsome facial features. His eyebrows drew together, his lips parted. His eyes grew darker and hazier. Then his head shook.

"No. I wouldn't be limited."

Yumi shook her head. "Ulrich-"

"No!" He snapped at her, silencing her words. He stood trembling worse than before. She feared his laughter, that horrible sound, would be back. He rubbed his temples, preparing himself to go on.

"No. Don't talk. It's my turn," he said, his eyes begging her to hear him out. "I would not be limited. How could you say that?! Do you honestly want to just stand here and tell me that?" He looked more frustrated and exasperated than angry at this point.

"You and me! For years!" Ulrich paced in the room, dragging his hands down his face. The soccer player in him looked as though he wanted to kick something. The frustration must have been building inside him, he could not stay still. Words continued to spill from his mouth, but they made no sense. He was growing louder, his actions proved more frantic.

He stood right in front of her. Red faced and beautiful, his expression made him appear as though he was settling some sort of inner battle. She could only watch him as he faced his internal struggle. Sputtered words fell onto her ears, but there was a roaring that kept her from hearing correctly. His arms still moved about, proving a point that Yumi couldn't see.

Then he stopped. No warning. Just a complete halt in all of his disordered actions. His hands froze in the air, his breathing fast and erratic. His chest heaved with every intake of breath. The blaze in his eyes held her fast to the ground. She wanted to run, but couldn't find the urge to move at all.

Time seemed to intensely speed up, but still he moved agonizingly slow. Inching closer to her, his arms lowered a small amount, but were still raised slightly in a defensive manner. Yumi lost all sense of the floor, of the walls, of the windows, of anything that was holding her on the ground and inside the room. Her eyes focused in on his, finding the little sparks of green and gold in his eyes that she once spent hours looking for.

Every particle in Yumi's mind screamed at her to run, but she had no idea how to convey that to her body. Ulrich came closer still, his mouth partially open, and his breath hot on her face. Cheeks colored red from anger stood out awkwardly on his skin. His scent intoxicated her, filled her to the brim. Something spicy and warm, she would recognize it anywhere.

Then suddenly, Ulrich's hands snapped down on her arms, powerfully pinning them to her sides. His mouth was hot and wet on hers before she even had a chance to react. Instinct told her to close her eyes, to respond. Tongues twisted and battled against each other, clashing more viciously.

One of his hands released her arm and found its way to the back of her head. He pressed harder into the kiss, deepening it, tilting her head back with the very force of it.

Yumi couldn't breathe. She wanted more, she wanted to push him away. Confusion clouded her vision. She wanted to know what she wanted to do. She wanted to breathe him in, steal his scent and make it her own until it drowned her. Was she even standing anymore?

The ground was gone, the world was gone. It was Ulrich and her. Only them. And his hand fisted in her hair. And her free hand gripped the side of his face. And his fingers rubbed circles into her arm. And her heart raced to the point of exploding.

The rest of the world did not exist. There was only the here and now.

His body pressed tight against her, and every touch burned her skin. She grew lightheaded and felt as though her skin itself would fall off and expose her insides entirely to him. Would she mind?

The door flew open at that moment, and Odd burst in. Jolted by the sound, Ulrich and Yumi tore away from each other. Yumi could still feel the tingle on her lips, the tremor on her tongue. His hand still attached to her arm, they stared. Yumi felt electricity searing her skin at the contact, but nothing pierced as much as his eyes. They stood only inches apart, but Yumi knew in that one kiss, more distance had been forced between them than ever before. His eyes never left hers. They stood out dark in his face, bottomless and intense, never blinking.

He looked down at her, she realized. He was taller than her now, when had that happened? What else had she failed to notice?

"Hey, guys!" Odd's voice broke the moment, and Yumi found she was reluctant to look at him. He stood with a knowing grin on his face, his eyebrows waggling. "I heard too much silence. I figured that might not be a good sign. 'Cause I mean, if you're not talking, what else could you possibly be doing?"

He looked at Ulrich, who continued to hold tight to Yumi's arm. Ulrich glanced down, and quickly snatched his hand away as though surprised that it had still been there.

"I guess I was right to come in. Oh boy, can you imagine what Jim would do if he caught you two? You should be thanking me for this!" Odd's grin grew wider, and he beckoned for Jeremie and Aelita to come closer from the hallway.

Yumi felt like an animal on display. Odd looked proud, Jeremie looked embarrassed, Aelita looked concerned. And Ulrich… He continued to stare at her. She couldn't decipher what expression he wore.

"Right, thanks, Odd," Yumi started slowly, choosing every word carefully. She couldn't lose her ground now. There was too much held at stake. "Thanks for stopping this before it got out of hand."

"What?" Ulrich reached out to hold Yumi again, but this time she could move. The spell was broken, and she pulled away from him.

"No! This is exactly what I meant!" she stormed at him, pushing his hand away. She backed up until her back hit the wall. She pushed off it and headed towards the door.

Ulrich caught her arm, forcing her to look up at him. Oh, when did he get so tall?!

"Ulrich, can't you see? This is too much! We, we can't do this," Yumi yelled, yanking her arm from his. She held herself still for a moment, watching his face fall and harden with such intensity.

"Fine, just go."

Yumi didn't move. She couldn't. It took all of her willpower to hide the fact that she was breaking. She had to pretend that her ribs weren't slicing through her skin or that her blood wasn't rushing at an enormously high rate. Tension swelled in her body, forming a pit in her chest.

Turning on her heel, she pushed past Odd to reach the only exit.

"Yumi," Aelita started, reaching out for her elbow. Yumi moved out of the way, continuing out the door.

"Thanks for the party, guys, it was great. Until… well, yeah," Yumi trailed off, not looking any of them in the eye. She hurried down the hallway, desperate to escape. Exhaustion was taking over her, and she wanted little more than to throw herself on her bed and just sleep for a year.

Behind her, she felt rather than saw Ulrich leave the room, too. Off to his dorm, she assumed. Not that she cared. Not that she was paying attention. No, she was done caring and paying attention. She was done.

"Wait!" Odd yelled, half his body hanging out from the doorframe of Jeremie's room. Yumi turned around, furious at him for stopping her and at not understanding why she even stopped at all. Ulrich, it seemed, had turned around, too. Not that she cared. Not that she paid attention to him. Nope, she wasn't going to pay any attention to him.

"Guys!" Odd continued, his cheeks pink with excitement, "How was the kiss?"

No, she wasn't going to pay any attention to Odd, either.

Breathe, don't you want to breathe?
I know that you are strong enough to handle what I need.
My capillaries scream, there's nothing left to feed on.
My body needs a reason to cross that line.
-Dashboard Confessional, Reason to Believe

Yay! First chapter done! So intense, I know. And Odd's a little goofball. I love him. lol

Anyway, this is a multi-chaptered fic. I have it blocked out to be about five chapters long and I'll be updating each Sunday. (Hopefully.)

In other news, I graduate tomorrow!! So excited. So, in honor of this momentous occasion, I thought I would upload my first chapter. I hope you guys all like it. Please review!