Disclaimer: MKR and its amazing characters belong to CLAMP (though I admit that I'd like very much to own Clef…but oh well…lol)
Notes: Here's the last chapter...thank you again for having read this whole thing, I hope you liked it. Well, thanks again to my rewievers, you're great guys! thank you! ^^
Clef. Tell me it's yours the warm hand that's holding mine. Please. I need you. I want you here, right beside me.
I feel the warm spreading in to my whole body, my arm doesn't hurt anymore.
I open my eyes, I'm sure you're here with me.
But when I look up my heart sinks. They aren't your eyes, they're wide and green, hidden behind a pair of glasses. Fuu. I sigh
"My wind worked" she's proud of what she have just done. Well, I'd be proud too if I'd just cured my best friend.
"yeah…thank you Fuu" I can hear delusion in my voice
"something wrong, Umi-chan?" I shake my head, I won't let them know, though I suspect that Hikaru already knows something.
"Umi, I'm sorry I…"
"It's ok Lantis, I just got distracted, that's not your fault" I smile to him, he has not guilt in what happened. The only guilty is you, Clef.
Oh, damn you, Master Mage! I wanted so badly to find you here with me!
Haven't you heard I called for you? I almost pleaded you! You are an idiot! I hate you!
Oh, who I want to tease? I don't hate you, I could never do it…you are everything that matters to me.
But seems like I don't mean that much to you.
"I tried to convince him to come, but he won't…" Hikaru breaths in my ear
"huh? I don't know what you're talking about" I answer, she shakes her head.
I knew it, she already knows.
And I knew it, he doesn't care of me. But I want to see him, I want to talk to him.
I want to make him know that he's killing me, that he can't go on treating me like that.
I love him.
I look at everyone going out of my room, Ascot places a soft kiss on my forehead.
Ascot, how sweet are you…I wonder what's wrong with me.
How can I love that terrible Master Mage instead of you? The nice guy who's always there for me? Forgive me, Ascot.
I don't know if going to him or let it go.
Clef. You can't even imagine how you hurt me. I love you and you don't even imagine it.
Even if you don't return my feelings you could at least act in a nicest way towards me.
Oh Clef, what have I got to do to make you see how much I do love you?
I have to see you. I need to see you.
Slowly, I make my way to his study. I sigh looking at the golden, tall door.
How could he do this to me? His best student! The person who loves him the most in this country!
I'm so angry with you, Clef!
I burst in without even knocking
"I'm working"
You're working?! You are working?! Are you idiot or what?! You didn't even took the disturb to see who has just got in to your damn study!
Oh, you're driving me mad, Clef! How in the world can I love you in a so desperate way?! I'm an idiot!
Oh, I have no intention to go out! Not without having make you feel a worm!
I approach his desk, finally he looks up
"I see you're fine"
That's all you've got to say?! Do you really think I'm fine?! I'm not fine! I'm hurting Clef, hurting like never in my whole life! Hurting because of a wound you opened and only you can heal. But you don't care, right? You care just of this damn books around you! I wish I could yell all this at you, but my pride, my composure make me stop.
"yes, but surely not thank to you!" I bark. What a good liar am I!
"well, I think that the important thing is that you are ok, it doesn't matter who cured you"
How the hell can you be so cold?! Can't you see right through my façade?! I wanted you! I needed you! And I still need, but you don't care!
"what?! How can you say this?! I got hurt because of you! It's all your fault my dear Master Mage!"
He looks at me with those icy eyes of his
"my fault?" the intensity of his gaze makes me shiver, I wish I could decipher it. Everything would be easier then.
"yes, you distracted me!" I exclaim, but I can feel my voice trembling, I'm not so sure of what I'm saying
"Umi, let me tell you something: you are a Magic Knight, you must stay focused on your enemy, you can't get so easily distracted from the people around you. You've got a great responsibility on your shoulders, so don't blame on me the fact that you are just a girl easily distracting and in a daze. Try to be more responsible the next time"
I can't believe it! Even now you keep criticizing me?! I begged you to help me, to stay with me earlier. It was just a whisper, I admit it, but haven't you catch the pleading tone of my voice? How can you keep hurting me like that?! Can't you see that I'm not suffering for Lantis's fence but for your coldness?! Oh Clef, what have I to do to make you open your eyes?!
I don't know what happen to me, I don't even realize what I am doing.
I feel my hand hitting his cheek.
I don't know what came to my mind! Well, though I'm not totally conscious of what I just did, I can't deny I'm quite satisfied. Yes Clef, you deserve it!
He slowly takes his hand to the place where I hit him.
He's surprised.
Well, I can't blame him, I'm surprised myself.
Does it hurt, Clef? Well, try to multiply it for thousands of times, maybe you'll have a clue of how my heart is feeling now.
"You are an idiot, Clef!" I shout, he just stares at me, still surprised.
To hell my pride, to hell my composure, I just want you to know how I feel, Clef!
"didn't you heard me, earlier?! I woke up in my bed seeing Fuu's eyes, while the only person I wanted to see beside me was you!" I shout it with all my voice, I think I could cry.
Oh, but not in front of you, my dear Master Mage, I have to keep that small crumb of dignity.
Before he can say something I'm running away, slamming the door behind me.
I cry while I run to my bedroom, once there I just collapse on my huge poster bed, my face pressed against the pillow.
Are you happy now, Clef? Are you satisfied? Look at what you made of me! The proud Umi Ryuuzaki is nothing but a damn crybaby!
"Umi…" oh, now you come to me! After that I humbled myself in that way! I wish I could hate you, Clef!
"Go away!"
no, please, don't go. Don't leave me again. I need you. My pride says me to act like this but my heart aches for you. Please, understand it.
"Umi, please open this door"
Why should I? to show you how am I suffering? Aren't you happy of what you have already done?
"I won't see you, I won't hear your voice! I just want for you to vanish, get out of my sight!"
Please Clef, say that you want to talk to me. It's obvious I still want you by my side, I'd do everything to be with you. Please, do something, show me that you do care of me. Please.
I wait an answer, a noise, a sigh. But nothing. There's just me and a heavy, terrible silence.
Oh Clef, why?! You are the Master Mage, you know everything, you can do everything and yet…yet you can't understand me. Why? Where did I went wrong? Ascot would have understood it. He'd never left. Maybe I should try to forget you. Oh what am I saying? I could never do it, I…
A hand.
A hand gently stroked my hair.
Oh Clef, is it you? Please, tell me that's you, that it's not just my imagination…
I turn to meet the most blue and intense eyes I've ever seen.
Oh Clef, it's you! So you care, I am something to you in the end!
I wish I could launch myself in your arms, I could tell you I love you and I always will.
But I can't.
I've that crumb of pride that still stops me.
"Go away" I follow its advice and slap his hand away.
Clef, if you go away now it's over. My heart will never heal, I know it. It's up to you.
He moves to cup my cheek.
Oh Clef! See? You can understand me, so why didn't you do it earlier? You were killing me…you still are.
I stop his hand, I know, he's trying to show me he cares of me, but I want more.
"don't touch me!"
No. I'm lying Clef. Do it. Please.
I gasp, before I can even realize it, I'm in his arms.
Oh, it's so right, so perfect. Why did you wait so much to do this?! You 745 years old idiot!
I'd like I could stay here in your arms forever, but my pride forces me away. You have to do more, Clef. After all the pain you made me go through, now I want more.
What the hell am I doing?! It's like someone else is moving my hand towards his face again.
This time he grabs my wrist. He fix his piercing eyes on mine.
"Umi, forgive me. I'm an idiot I…"
Oh Clef, I know you are! Do it! Please! The moment is perfect. There's just us: you and me. I'm begging you. Please, can't you see it?! If you don't do it I swear that I'll…
It's just a moment. His lips softly brush against mines.
It was brief, but it was enough to make my head swim, to make chills run along my spin, to make tears come to my eyes.
Oh Clef! How long I did wait for you to do it!
No! what are you doing?! You can't pull away like that! No!
He stares at me for a pair of seconds, he doesn't know what to do.
Well, I guess that my tears confused him, he doesn't know what they mean.
Oh Clef, they mean that I'm happy. That finally you opened up your eyes and saw through my façade!
I love you so much Clef!
I launched myself into his arms, sobbing in his cloak while he caresses my hair.
"was it hard to do, Clef?"
"yes" only hearing his answer I realize that I spoke aloud my thought. Oh well, never mind, at least now I can tell him how miserable I felt, how badly he hurt me.
"why Clef?! Couldn't you see it? I was dying for you, I needed you! But you were always so distant, never once I heard a kind word from you, never a smile, never a nice act…it was killing me…it hurt more than Lantis's sword…"
"I…I thought I bothered you. That you couldn't stand me. Umi, you've never acted like you do with the others towards me, how the hell could I think that you loved me? You can't even imagine how terribly I felt for not being there for you, I thought you won't me. That I was just the annoying Guru of Cephiro I…"
What?! Oh Clef, I swear that I'd kill you right now. But I can't, I'd regret it, because I can't be without you. Even if you are the greatest wimp I've ever knew!
"Clef, you are an idiot!"
"yes, so get out of my head"
Huh? What the hell is he saying? Is he mad of what?!
"Clef?" I see him blushing. Well, at least he has the decency to look embarrassed. I wonder what the hell is he thinking about in a moment like this.
"never mind, Umi…"
I should be angry with him, but I told him "never mind" so many times that I can't get angry. Oh well, in the end it doesn't matter that much, I only care we're together now. That he understood me. So I just smile
"Umi, I've to tell you something…"
Of course you have. If you think that a quick kiss like that is enough you are totally wrong, Mr. Master Mage, I want to hear it clearly. No, I'm not egocentric or demanding. I just want to hear it. I need it.
"what?"
"I love you"
Thank you, God!
Oh Clef, you damn old man! Why did you wait so much to tell it?!
I smile openly, I notice him staring at my lips.
Do it! Do it again! And please, make it last longer or I swear I'll kill you!
As if he reads my thoughts he leans in kissing me again.
Oh Clef, couldn't you read me earlier?! Why we had to go through all this mess?!
You know, for being a 745 years old man who never kissed anyone, you do it wonderfully.
This kiss isn't soft and brief like the previous one, this is passionate, fervent.
Oh, I've always dreamt of this kiss! Every night and day I fantasized of it, and finally here it is.
And it's better than what I expected!
To the hell my proud! I pass my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss.
Oh, it felt so right, so perfect! I love you Clef! I want to shout it!
I pull away from the kiss, he looks at me quite confused.
I cup his cheek with my hand, there's still the light mark of my slap.
No, I don't regret hitting you. You deserved it!
A giggle escapes me, his eyes fills with curiosity.
"you know, I've always wished to hear those words from you…and I'll tell you more: I love you too…"
He deserves to hear it just like he deserved to be slapped early. I want for him to know what I feel.
He folds me in his arms again, playing with my hairs.
Oh, I always imagined him to do this!
I rest my head against his chest, his speeded heart beats echoing in my ears.
I allow a content smile to form on my lips.
Isn't it perfect Clef? You holding me and me sighing contently in your arms.
Just the two of us, uncaring of the rest of the world.
Why it took you so long to realize that we belong together? That I'm yours and you're mine?
It took just a soft kiss to erase all the pain I've been through.
Oh Clef, I love you. With my whole heart. And now you know it. And I know you love me as well.
I wish we could stay like this forever, Clef, now I know what happiness is.
Please, promise me we'll be together forever.
"I promise" I giggle, I spoke out my thoughts again.
Oh well, I don't care.
I don't care of anything at the moment, because we are together.
Yes Clef. We are together now, isn't it wonderful?
Just you and me. Us. Forever.