 Puppy Love 

(Yumi's POV)

"Yumi! Can you take Miko out? I forgot to today. The leash is on the counter!" my mom yelled up. I sighed, wiped the tears from my eyes, and went downstairs. Miko, our new little daschund, was waiting excitedly at the door (whether because of the need to pee or the prospect of going out, I didn't know). I grabbed the leash off the counter and hooked it to her collar. As I opened the door, the puppy shot out, pulling me after her. She slowed to a walk as we reached the park. After going and sniffing at a fire hydrant, she squatted down beside it. I let her do her business as I let my mind wander back to why I had been crying.

-fLaShBaCk-

I watched as Sissy came up to Ulrich. "I can't wait for our date tonight Ulrich dear!" she said in her usual obnoxious voice. Then, she kissed him full blown on the lips. I expected him to push her away. To reply with some scorching retort. But no, he didn't even pull away or make any move to get her away! I felt my eyes sting as she pulled away. Backing away from the rest of the group, I felt my arms go limp and my books start to fall. By the time they hit the ground, I was already running to the forest. I knew they'd heard the crash, but I didn't care. They could go deaf from it for all I cared! No… I didn't mean that. They were probably just as shocked as I was. I felt someone grab my upper arm and slip an arm around my waist, pulling me back. I caught a glimpse of a mop of brown hair out of the corner of my eye and knew in a millisecond that it was Ulrich.

"Yumi-"

"Get away!" I screamed, my voice breaking and causing the birds in the trees around me to take flight in alarm.

"Yumi let me explain!" he pleaded.

"No! You made a date with Sissy on the night we shut down XANA and free Aelita!" I cried, not caring who or what heard me, "Doesn't the antivirus Jeremy found mean anything to you? Because I know I or any of your friends mean anything to you!"

"Yumi, please! You've got it all wrong!"

"Oh, so that's it," I spewed out emotionlessly, "I've got it wrong, huh? You've had chances… we've had chances to get the story straight, but you never even tried. And apparently Sissy is more important than helping Aelita! Well I, for one, have had it Ulrich! I hate you! Now let me go!" I'd done it. I'd spoken the words that were the exact opposite of the one I had felt over those years of knowing him. I spoke of hate— not love. I was shocked as I felt his grip loosen. I didn't expect him to actually let go, but I wasn't thinking straight. So I ran— As far and as long as I could without looking back. Except for once. And that was one time too many, because when I did look over my shoulder, the defeated, forlorn look on his face was more than I could bear. I went home and cried.

-eNdFlAsHbAcK-

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that when I felt Miko's leash go limp in my hand, I jumped in surprise. I looked down at the leash and then up at the sidewalk and gasped. Miko had slipped out of her collar and was now running down the path.

"Miko!" I yelled, running after her, "Miko stop! Come back!" But of course, she didn't stop. She just kept on running. Could you blame her? She was just a puppy after all. I saw Miko run around the corner of a stone wall that was covered with ivy.

"Miko, please no…" I was breathing deeply. This was the street that he lived on. He being Ulrich. Why Miko? Why did you have to run here, of all places? I rounded the corner, hoping he wouldn't be outside today.

"Miko stop runni-" I skidded to a halt, the way an ice skater would, sending ice flying. But I was on concrete and it wasn't ice it was gravel that flew. And instead of a skating partner it was him. And he was standing right in front of me, Miko and another dog (a chocolate lab) jumping at his feet. He looked up.

"Yumi..."

-Ulrich's POV (during the entirety of the above)-

'Why won't she just let me explain?'

I'd asked myself that at least a trillion times in the last 30 minutes. I felt a heavy tongue on my face as I lay sulking on my bed. It was Rags, my chocolate lab.

"Rags, come on..." I groaned. He sat there looking expectantly at me. Then he jumped down, grabbing his leash that sat on my dresser with his teeth. He then went to the closed door of my room and started whining.

I sighed. "Fine." I got up, took the leash from him, hooked it to his collar, and led him outside. I let him do his business as I sat on the ivy-covered stone wall. I took out a Swiss army knife from my pocket and flicked it open. I watched the metal glisten in the sun as I recalled the events that led up to my current state.

-fLaShBaCk-

Sissy came up to me and said something about a date. Date? What date? Well there was the shut-down-Xana date, but Sissy wouldn't know about that… Then she kissed me. She had me pushed up against the bench I was sitting on so I couldn't move. When she finally broke away, I heard a crash. When I looked up, after yelling at Sissy, I saw Yumi's abandoned books and her light footprints leading into the forest. I tore after her (having to duck because of the five inches I had grown A/N: he's taller than Yumi now) and she finally came into view. Grabbing her by the waist, I stopped her. I tried to explain, but apparently she didn't want to hear it. The words she spoke broke my heart: I hate you.

The words stung. I instantly let her go. All I ever wanted was for her to be happy. If being around me makes her unhappy, then so be it. She ran off and looked back only once.

-eNdFlAsHbAcK-

I sighed, stuck the knife back in my pocket, and jumped down off the wall. Suddenly I heard a shout. Looking up, I saw a little daschund round the corner and come to a halt in front of me. It looked at me as Rags also came onto the scene. I suddenly heard a skid and looked up to see Yumi.

"Yumi..." I breathed.

"Hello," she whispered calmly. I felt my heart drop once again. I stuck my hand in my pocket and pulled out my knife again. 'What's the point of living if she hates me?' I asked myself. I held the knife up to my chest and stared at the sky.

-Reader's POV-

Yumi paled, "U-Ulrich what are you doing?" He voice was quiet and fearful.

He turned to her, his eyes empty of emotion, "My only reason for living hates me, my grades are slipping, I can't eat, I cant' sleep, my parents want too much from me, and nobody has time to listen or to let me explain. I have no right to be living here. I don't belong. Not here, not in Lyoko, not anywhere. "I may be alive physically, but the heart of my soul stopped beating a long time ago. This will make it easier for you and for everyone." Again, he held the kinfe to his chest.

"N-n-n-NO!" she cried out. Tears cascaded down her cheeks. She ran forward, her eyes streaming, wrestled the knife out of his hand, and drove it into a nearby tree. The dogs yelped and ran in circles around them.

"No no no no no no no!" she screamed. Grabbing his shirt, she buried her face in his chest. "No…" she whispered.

"Yumi nobody needs m-"

"YES THEY DO!" she yelled into his chest, "You… you can't kill yourself! I won't let you!"

"Why? You hate me," he said, his voice hollow.

"I didn't mean it," she sobbed.

"Yeah, right," he mumbled. He tried to break away from her, but she just tightened her grip. She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"It's true," she started shaking, "How could I hate you if I-I… if I love you?" He froze as she collapsed, still conscious, on him, still shaking. He felt a paw on his leg and he looked down to see Miko cock her head toward Yumi. Rags bobbed his head in an almost humane way. He lifted his arms and placed them at the bases of her shoulder blades. She relaxed as she felt his hands push her closer to him.

"I can't… lose you," her voice was muffled by his chest, "Not now, not ever."

"Don't worry," he lifted her face with the crook of his finger, "You won't." She closed her eyes and leaned forward. His were partially closed, but eventually closed all the way as he, too, leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.

When the both pulled away from the lack of oxygen, she opened her eyes and looked up, tears clinging to her eyelashes. He kissed them away.

"I love you too, Ishiyama." He let out a small laugh.

She looked at him, confused, "What?"

"I guess you could call it puppy love, since it was our dogs who led us to each other," he grinned.

She smiled, "I guess you could."

That's just puppy love.

-/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\The End/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\:-

Just a oneshot I thought of a long time ago. I decided to put it up. So… yeah… REVIEW PPLS!

-Mi ChIbO-

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