Mai HiME
All I Have to Give
I claim no ownership of the characters or the song, only the storyline is mine…
I don't know, what he does to make you cry.
But I'll be there to make you smile.
Even with slight static over the line, Minagi Mikoto could clearly picked up the sniffling sound on the other end of the line. She'd known the woman for over six years that something so small never seemed to gone unnoticed by her, after all Mikoto had loved the woman as long as she'd known the woman. It was her first love after all, the reason for her to grow out of her sheltered life and matured into a responsible young adult.
"Come on, I know you miss me and all there's no need to cry. Does Mai just want a hug from me?" Mikoto teased and a giggle was rewarded for her effort. "I'll get it when you visit right?" a soothing voice on the other line sounded a bit hopeful and somewhat cheered up a little. "Of course, and I hope I'm not jaywalking like last time." Mikoto chuckled remembering the first time she met Tohkiha Mai when she came to Kyoto for the first time. They talked a little more before they bid each other good night, Mikoto turned off her phone and pulled the blanket over her.
Living on her own, struggling to make a living as an artist isn't easy. Mikoto rented a studio, it's so small that only a bed and a drawer fit into the place. So she got a rolled up futon, the drawer hold her art supplies as canvases took up the rest of the space in the tiny room. Of course, this was the life she chose for herself, and even her friend didn't know about it or anyone in her family for that matter.
I don't have… a fancy car…
To get to you, I'd walk a thousand miles…
"Damn, it suck to be broke…" Mikoto cursed to herself after being dropped off downtown of Tokyo. It has been a few days since she left Kyoto and hitching rides up here. She really didn't have enough money to afford a train ticket, so she walked and hitched rides along the way. "It has been a long time…" she murmured looking up at all the tall buildings and skyscrapers. A small bag on her back and a four feet long poster holder, Mikoto pulled out a small piece of paper and read the address once more before stalking around looking for the street name. It was quite a pain since things changed continuously and she haven't been to Tokyo for a long time, so she ended up lost and had to ask around to find her way to the place she was trying to get to.
I don't care, if he buys you nice things…
Does his gifts come from the heart?
I don't know…
But if you were my girl, I'd make it so we'd never be apart…
But my love is all I have to give
Without you, I don't think I can live
I wish I could give the world to you…
But love is all I have to give…
"Wow, fancy place…" Mikoto noted as she rang the doorbell. "Coming…" a sweet and cheery voice echoed from within and the door opened up. Standing there, was Tohkiha Mai with her sunny smile, glimmering amethyst eyes and beautiful shoulder-length strawberry orange hair. "Mikoto? I almost didn't recognize you, you've grown so much…" Mai said after a moment of staring at the feral girl in front of her. "Come in," Mai quickly stepped aside and invited her friend in, the girl smiled warmly at her before entering the large home.
The Minagi Mikoto she hadn't seen for four years now sat before her, her hair was short as usual, that was the only thing that didn't change about her. Mikoto had looked taller, leaner, with traces of maturity in her golden eyes and face, and she looked a bit tanner too. Mai also noticed that the girl had grown her sideburns out and braided it so that it was a bit past her shoulder, like it was her own uniqueness in her own way.
"I got something for you, it's nothing fancy but I hope you accept it." Mikoto said politely with some formality to it, something she never done before. Opening the lid, Mikoto pulled out a rolled up canvas (cut out of the frame) and handed it to Mai, who accepted it and open it. It was a painting of her making pastries, when she was working in a local bakery in Kyoto while attending college. It was hard for her, but it was the few best times of her life because she was so happy back then.
"I love it, thank you…" Mai said smiling through teary eyes. "I'm glad," Mikoto smiled warmly. Mai knew that the girl had put a lot of time into this painting, she remembered the girl was majoring in Fine Art and had seen her painted before. This isn't the first painting she got, her boyfriend knew she liked painting and had bought many for her but none seemed like it was from his heart but more or less from his wealth.
Tate Yuuichi, Mai's boyfriend of two years, the only son and heir to the Fuuka Airline company. He's handsome, wealthy, a real gentleman, and a lady's man. They met when he and his friends went to the restaurant she worked for as pastry chef, he was delighted and wanted to meet the person who made such an impressionable cake. He was awestruck by her looks and wooed her, soon they started dating but things slowly changed between them as he started to spend less and less time with her after she bought her own place.
When you talk…
Does it seem like he's not listenin' to a word to you?
That's okay baby…
Just tell me you problem, I'll try my best to kiss them all away…
Does he leave?
When you need him the most?
Does his friends get all your time?
Baby please…
I'm on my knees, prayin' for the day that you'll be mine…
"Who's she?" the handsome young man asked Mai as he entered the house. Mikoto suspected that the tall guy with blonde brown hair might be her friend's boyfriend and also the culprit in making the woman she loved cried as well. "That's my friend from college, I told you last week that she's coming to visit me. Remember?" Mai said as she took his coat from him. "Yeah sure," he said a uncaringly fishing his ringing phone out of his pocket to answer it.
"Man I just got back. Okay, I'll see you in five," the guy said and hung up and turned around to leave again. "You're not staying for dinner?" Mai asked looking disappointed. "No, Takeda want to go out for dinner and a few drinks. Night," he give her a quick kiss on the forehead and left as quickly as he came. Mikoto just sat there and sip her tea, acting like nothing happened as it seemed that the guy acted like she wasn't even there.
"I'm sorry, it's probably to talk about work again…" Mai tried to smile at Mikoto. "It's okay, did you have a rough day at work today?" Mikoto asked putting the cup down on the table and looked at Mai. "Yes, a bit…" Mai winced at her own words. "Why don't you tell me all about it?" Mikoto encouraged her friend with a warm smile on her face. "Well, I overheard that the owner of the place is a friend of Yuuichi. He come in today talking something about how hot Yuuichi's girlfriend is…" Mai trailed off feeling unshed tears dwelled up in her eyes.
"Shh…" Mikoto quickly wrapped her arms around the older woman protectively. "N-Natsuki told me that she saw him with another woman… but I didn't belief her…" Mai said in between sobs. "It's okay, you don't have to continue if it hurt too much." Mikoto cooed. "I saw him today at the supermarket, kissing another woman with greenish hair…" Mai sobbed harder while clutching onto Mikoto's shirt. "Shh.. it's alright… I'm here now…" Mikoto tried her best to sooth the crying woman, as half of her wanted to find Mai's boyfriend and punch the lights out of him while the other half wanted to console Mai and she listened to the latter half.
She kissed Mai's hair, feeling content just holding onto the strawberry orange top and waiting until she finished crying. They remained like that for fifteen minutes, Mai was finally done crying over the fact that she isn't the only woman in her boyfriend's life. She felt worn out, and Mikoto's arms were becoming quite comfortable that Mai dozed off feeling warm and safe with the feral girl's arms wrapped around her.
"Must be a really stressful day for you," Mikoto whispered as she pried Mai away from her long enough so that she could turn off the lights and lock the door. "I really wished that you didn't move back here, then things would've been different…" Mikoto sighed and she scooped Mai up in her arms and carried the latter into the bedroom. During her walk in there, Mai managed to snaked her arms around the girl's torso that she couldn't pry her off without waking her up. Heaving another sigh, Mikoto had no other choice but to lay down with Mai and hope to get some shut eyes or watch the other one sleeps.
Hey girl, I don't want you to cry no more inside
Oooh… all the money in the world, could never add up to…
All the love I have inside…
I love you, baby…
"If there's truly a god out there, please let her be mine…" Mikoto whispered nodding to herself as sleep was slowly overpowering her. It had been a long night, exhausted she took Mai's hand and kissed it. Falling asleep while keep Mai's hand against her lips and talking in her sleep, "I really love you Mai." It might be heartbreaking, but she knew she doesn't have any right to say it to the other woman when they're both awake. Reality was different than dream, Mai is in a relationship even though it was heading downhill. But that doesn't give Mikoto the right to say those three words when Mai was going through so much pain. She had kept it to herself for six years now, though she did told Mai she loved her during their times together but Mai had thought it meant as sisterly love and not romantically.
Dawn broke by the time Mikoto fell asleep, and Mai stirred and heard those five words from the feral girl's mouth. She was stunned and shocked, those words somehow felt so real and so genuine at the same time. In her mind, Mai had always saw Mikoto as an honest and innocent girl that has yet to know what love is, a roommate who always compliment her cooking, always smile that innocent smile, and always so earnest. Mai never saw a thoughtful girl, her romantic side, her attentiveness, her loving gaze, longing sigh, her desire, and especially her feelings for Mai.
Mai wondered what happened if she hadn't move to Tokyo and stayed in Kyoto instead. Will she be able to saw how much Mikoto loved her? Will they be dating each other? Will Mikoto leave her for another person? Will Mikoto's family disown her? There are just too many questions, and Mai was sure that she never heard Mikoto talked about her family before.
"I look into your special friend, and she's isn't who she seemed to be," Kuga Natsuki said over breakfast since she always came to Mai's home for breakfast since they're next door neighbor and Mikoto was still asleep. "Did you find anything?" Mai got curious as she served a stack of pancakes drowned in syrup to Natsuki. "She's the only daughter of the Minagi-Fujino Conglomerate, but was disowned by her family about six years ago. Now Fujino Shizuru is the heir and she recently took over the company," Natsuki said stuffing the pancakes into her mouth at a very fast pace. "You mean your girlfriend is the new CEO to the MFC?" Mai was shocked since she would've never guessed that Shizuru would be the wealthy type. "Yup, meet the family last night…" Natsuki nodded confirming.
"Shizuru wanted to help her out, but the family won't take her back because she went to an Art college instead of business. Compare to her, my life was better than hers in many ways. Even as a mechanic, I get good pay and able to afford a decent home. But her, she's a struggling young artist and barely made any money with her artworks, well it's hard to sell when most of them are these." Natsuki said pulled out a stack of photos and placed it on the table. Mai took a look and realized that she was the model in all the paintings in the photos.
"If I were you, I dump the buffoon and date her." Natsuki said after finishing her third helping of pancakes. "Maybe she's not rich, but she definitely built her world around you and worship the ground you walk on. It's not like you need money, you can open your own damn restaurant if you want to. I mean, hell even Shizuru said she date her if their parents didn't married each other. Think about it," Natsuki said getting up and padded her friend lightly before leaving to pick up her girlfriend.
The same day, Mikoto bid her friend good bye and left to head back to Kyoto. She gave Mai a hug and a kiss on the forehead, she didn't stop by her home for a visit nor she did stop by to see her childhood friend. Mikoto was determined to left everything behind, look forward and try her best to move on with life and focusing on her passion in painting. She left her heart and her feelings behind, though she wished there was a better way to handle this than walk away from it.
It took a few days, but she was now home in her tiny studio. Gathering her tools, Mikoto started to paint a face behind the thorns as a tribute to her feelings. She spent hours in front of her canvas, forgotten to shower, sleep and eat as she was too absorbed into her work. Days went by and Mikoto hadn't left her studio, she was waiting for the paint to dry while preparing a new canvas for her next piece. Stifling a yawn, Mikoto mixed the colors in the perfect blend and started another project my angel, one that project her view of the woman she loved.
After several day without sleep, Mikoto had finished her works and fell asleep on the floor without bothering to pull out the futon. But the sound of someone rapping on the door woke her up, scratching her head Mikoto stumbled to the door and opened it in a half-awake state. She was grumpy and tired, and was going to give whoever that woke her up a piece of her mind.
Someone attacked her as soon as she opened the door, Mikoto stumbled back feeling the weight of someone else on her. Her mind snapped into motion and out of its haziness immediately, "Mai? What are you doing here?" Mai was clutching onto her while rubbing her head against the girl's shoulder, it was a good thing that Mikoto showered before she went to sleep.
"I miss you," Mai said breathing in the girl's scent. "Mm," Mikoto nodded wrapping her arms around Mai's waist hugging her tightly. "Why didn't you tell me that your family disowned you because you decided to attend college here?" Mai asked after pushing the younger girl away. "Because I met a woman of my dream and being disown by my family was worth it if it means I can be with her," Mikoto answered honestly. "You should told her then," Mai smiled wickedly as she looked into those golden eyes that looked back at her longingly. "I did, but she's pretty dense," Mikoto chuckled and stifled a yawn.
So they spent the whole day sleeping, most Mikoto sleeping as Mai looked through all the paintings. She decided the leave it all behind, left her job and her cheating boyfriend and move back to Kyoto. Her parents left her the house when the passed away years ago, her brother got married and live oversea so she moved back there. She had taken her friend's advice and give this relationship a try, and she's thinking of opening up her own little restaurant too. She really didn't mind that Mikoto might not be making enough money to support the both of them, all she wanted was to come home and the girl is there to greet her with a hug and maybe a kiss and ask how her day is. Which was something Mikoto had done since Mai moved to Tokyo, even though it's over the phone, the girl knew exactly when to call and asked how her day was.
It's a blessing, Mikoto's work went well and she moved in with Mai. Just as Natsuki said, Mikoto really did worship the ground Mai walked on. The girl kept the house clean and prepared dinner each day, most of her artworks were of Mai decorated the house. Though sometimes, Mai thought she made a mistake for dating the feral girl, because Mikoto got absorbed with her painting that she ignored Mai completely. But then she would remembered and begged her love for forgiveness, Mai couldn't help but forgive and slowly come to adore that side of her.