Disclaimer: I do own Maria-sama ga Miteru or any of its characters. All copyrights are strictly reserved for the respective companies and personnel involved.
Title: The fairy tale
Sachiko sank into the visitor's chair beside Yumi's bed, her voice too choked up to continue singing. She sobbed uncontrollably into her hands, her violin landing ungraciously with a dull 'thump' on the tiled floor.
Yumi… won't you come back to me?
Witnessing her friend's breakdown, Sei stepped silently into the room, closing the door behind her before moving to adjust the window blinds to give the distraught woman some privacy from the small audience that had gathered previously. Sachiko was a tough woman, but Sei understood that even strong women have the need of a comforting hand at times. Like a mother comforting a child, Sei gently stroked Sachiko's hair as she murmured comforting words to her junior, empathizing with her despair of not being able to do anything while her beloved was in danger.
There was a sudden flurry of activity in the operation room when the doctor arrived. Seeing Youko laid out on the bed before her, Sei could only hold on tightly to Youko's hand, their fingers lacing together as her lover moaned in pain. Her blonde eyebrows furrowed together as she observed her partner, feeling as though something was wrong. She had seen a fair share of child birth scenarios from the documentaries she had watched for research purposes, but the pregnant mothers in them did not moan like what Youko was doing. They would usually be screaming like hell and high water by now while trying to push the baby out of their body. The flurry of activity surrounding her continued and eventually, a nurse was assigned to constantly check on Youko's vital signs. Not long afterwards, another nurse previously in charge of preparing the doctor's equipment whispered in Sei's ear, wanting for them to talk in private outside. Sei reluctantly disengaged from Youko with soft words of reassurance and left the room with the nurse.
"Satou-san, I called for you to step aside because I don't want to cause the patient unnecessary distress. However, your wife is in a critical condition now as she is losing conscious but the baby is still not in the right position for the birth. We need your consent to perform an emergency caesarian surgery on her. Do you allow it?"
Her face paled at the nurse's words. However, she replied quickly, for fear that any second of delay would cause further harm to Youko and their child. "Yes. I give my consent." The nurse nodded and hurried back into the room, instructing her to wait outside while the surgery is in progress. A sense of dread began to take over Sei as moments of their time together passed through her mind. The day where they had gotten married with a small ceremony in the States… their honeymoon in Europe… and their joy when they discovered that the in-vitro fertilization had been successful and Youko was now pregnant. Her legs suddenly felt too weak to support her and the woman fell to the floor. Her wife and their child were in danger, but she could only leave it up to her doctor. Anxiety began to fill her as she worried about how Youko's body will respond to the surgery due to her partner's low blood platelet count, which meant that she could not heal as well as ordinary people could. She could only find comfort in the knowledge that it was not a premature childbirth and there would be far lesser complications.
For next two grueling hours, she prayed silently for Saint Mary to protect her two precious persons before she heaved a sigh of relief when the doors opened and the doctor informed her that everything went well during the surgery.
"Sachiko, do you know what the strongest sentiment in the world is? It is not hate, or love, or greed or even desire. It is belief. Yumi is a strong woman, but she needs you to believe in her, to believe in the love that the both of you have together. If Yumi is strong, then you must be stronger, Sachiko, so that she knows you will always be waiting for her when she comes around. Cry all you want now, but afterwards, you need to be her strength while she is vulnerable."
After a while, the wracking sobs gradually subsided as Sachiko pulled herself together. Sei stopped her comforting caresses, sensing that the other woman had no further need of it. She seemed to have come to a decision, and a newfound determination to get through this ordeal with Yumi reverberated through her features. Sachiko gently kissed the back of Yumi's uninjured hand as she wiped away the last of her tears. She murmured once more her promise and love to her unconscious wife before addressing her senior.
"Thank you, Sei-sama. You have always been there for us, as have Onee-sama. I'm very glad that have a friend like you."
Sei grinned like a Cheshire cat, pleased to see the tall woman in better spirits. "Well, what would Youko and I do without you two to tease during New Year's gathering? Ok, you must be worn out from the crying, I'll head down to the cafeteria to get us both some food." With that, she left the two lovers alone in the ward.
You're right as always, Youko. Although Sachiko has grown in these years, she's has yet to fully outgrow the shadow of her younger self.
Sachiko…? That's right… her name is Sachiko. I remember everything now.
As Sachiko descended from the top of the stairs in a form-fitting red dress decorated with black ruffles on the single slip over her right shoulder, a sudden hush fell over the crowd in attendance as they stared in amazement at the beautiful girl who was turning 20 today. The birthday girl continued her descend like an angel from the heavens, her eyes roving the crowd before landing on a single girl standing to the side of the bottom of the staircase. The girl's gentle smile was returned with one of her own as she neared her, and Sachiko's trepidation at the upcoming event was swiftly overwhelmed by the breathtaking beauty of her partner.
Holding out her hand, Sachiko stopped in front of Yumi in the presence of the crowd, asking for a dance with her beloved. Shyly, Yumi nodded her consent before she was swept into Sachiko's arms as the hired band struck up the chords for the opening dance. Similar to first time they had danced together, their love for each other shone through the way they moved with each other in perfect rhythm – mesmerizingly, fluidly.
There were murmurs among the crowd as their dance continued, but no one had the courage to make a vocal protest at the scene before them. It was, after all, a business party hosted by the Ogasawara household for their own daughter's 20th birthday. Before long, other couples took to the dance floor while other guests whistled their approval for Sachiko and Yumi at their courage and progressivity. Those who were shocked by the gentle kiss on the lips between the Ogasawara heiress and her girlfriend at the end of the dance were kindly escorted out of the manor by none other than Sachiko's ex-fiance, Suguru himself.
And that was how the lovers proclaimed their love for each other to the rest of the world while their friends and associates gave their silent support.
These memories of our times together… they're surrounding me in warmth and light…
It had been slightly more than four years since Sachiko's 20th birthday celebration and their coming out, and two years since Yumi moved in with Sachiko in the Ogasawara manor. Yumi took up the more domestic role of the two as Sachiko became more active in her father's business empire, poised in a position to take over the leadership from her father's hands soon. It was a comfortable arrangement as Yumi's career as a biography writer allowed her more time at home when she was not out interviewing her clients about their personal lives. The young woman often spent her spare time interacting with the household servants and Sachiko's mother when her partner was not home. In the recent year, Sachiko had taken to spending more time around the office after her official work hours so that she could focus on her Yumi when she finally went home. Her new work responsibilities had taken some toll on their relationship as she now had lesser time to spend with Yumi, even if they still enjoyed their morning and bedtime interactions before Sachiko had to head out to the office. It was difficult at first, but they had gradually eased into the new routine. Nevertheless, the businesswoman occasionally held regret that she was unable to go on dates with her lover as frequently as she desired.
This morning, Yumi slid out of bed quietly, not wishing to wake the still slumbering woman who had been exhausted from a long day of activities yesterday. She headed to the adjoining bathroom to freshen up before making her way down to the kitchen in her nightwear. Smiling at the elderly chef as he greeted her, she rolled her sleeves up and prepared to make a special breakfast for her beloved with his help, deciding to pamper Sachiko on her rare day off.
With the breakfast tray in hand, Yumi entered their bedroom and placed their breakfast safely on the bedside table before she sat on her side of the bed. Tranquility came over her as she watched Sachiko's peaceful expression while she slept on, unaware of her surroundings. Yumi's fingers lovingly ran through Sachiko's midnight tresses as she thought to herself how beautiful this woman was… and how fortunate she has been, to be allowed to love and see her so plainly without her usual emotional defenses. She loathed her decision to wake the woman, but their breakfast was getting cold and it was getting late. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to Sachiko's in a chaste kiss and was pleasantly surprised when full lips parted and their kiss deepened.
"Mmm… like what you see?" Sachiko mumbled as she cracked one blue eye open, her arms moving to drape themselves loosely on Yumi's body to prevent her from leaving the bed.
"Mou… so you were already awake? I prepared breakfast." Despite her words, Yumi made no attempt to move away from the bed, content to stay as they were for a while longer. It wasn't everyday that they had time to laze around without care.
Today is going to be a special day.
After the slothful morning with breakfast in bed, Sachiko surprised Yumi by gifting her with a bouquet of Chinensis roses the moment she stepped out of the shower. With the late morning sunlight peeking through the curtains, Sachiko had been a sight to behold, her natural beauty highlighted by the sun's rays together with a matching smile of equal brilliance. Captivated by the image, Yumi had stared at the large bouquet for a few heartbeats before embracing her beloved tightly, toweled body and all. Sachiko laughed as she tried to return Yumi's hug single handedly, delighted that the younger girl liked her surprise.
I love the sound of her laughter.
Yumi set the flower vase on the dressing table, a silly grin on her face. She fiddled with the small velvet box hidden in her pocket as she waited patiently for Sachiko to finish her shower after their little late morning romp on the bed. The day was going as well as it could, and the weather seemed to be cooperating perfectly well for their activity later on. It had been a while since the last rendezvous whereby they had been able to relish in the presence of the other without interruptions. As they prepared to head out to the city for a date on Sachiko's suggestion, Yumi made a quick call to the servants' quarters to ensure that her plans for the evening were going smoothly as planned.
Just a few hours more.
They were out in the woods behind the Ogasawara mansion when Yumi proposed to Sachiko. She had a small candlelight dinner set out in a grove of trees overlooking the nearby lake. Underneath the starry night sky with softly playing music in the background blending together with the calls of the cicadas, Yumi went down on one knee in front of Sachiko and presented her with a platinum band set with a ruby as dark as blood and carmine roses. Too stunned to utter a single word, Sachiko had kissed her lover in response while happy tears ran free.
Friend, soeur, lover and wife. We're getting married!
Their wedding ceremony five months later was far more private than their coming out on Sachiko's 20th birthday as invitations were extended only to close friends and family. Most of her friends from Lillian's student council were there, with the exception of Shimako and Noriko who were stuck in Japan with work obligations. Sei was uncharacteristically subdued, having been given a restraining order by Youko not to mess up the couple's wedding with her pranks. Yoshino gave them a beautiful blanket hand-woven by Rei with a wink, instructing them to make full use of it for "wifely activities". Yumi's mother was beside herself with happiness, finally able to see her daughter getting married to the love of her life. Yuuki, on the other hand, busied himself with taking photographs of the beautiful event, wanting to put together a special wedding photo collection for the couple.
The wedding reception, on the other hand, turned out to be quite daunting between Sachiko's business influence and Yumi's popularity with people, large numbers of guests attended even though it was held outside Japan. Touko and Kanako had worked unexpectedly well together to plan for the reception party, finding more common ground between them than their previous impressions with each other. Sachiko's father had a constant smile upon his handsome features when he saw the number of guests attending the wedding reception, pleased that Sachiko's bride had almost as much influence as his daughter, even if her acquaintances were not so useful business contacts. But he supposed there was still merit in that.
But above all, no one was as blissful and contented as the two glowing brides that day as they exchanged heartfelt promises to stay beside each other for eternity.
I want to see her… Sachiko, my rose.
The soft light surrounding Yumi grew stronger as memories began to rewind. She followed the light, ignoring everything else that tried to distract her. She was at peace with herself in the darkness, but her desire to see Sachiko burned in the depths of her being, overpowering all other thoughts. She continued walking the path of light…
… and groaned in pain as what seemed like a million synapses ran through her body all at once.
At the soft moan, Sachiko looked up to see her wife's eyes fluttering open slowly. Unable to believe her eyes, the elder woman quickly pinched herself, finding relief as she felt a sharp prick of pain which confirmed reality. When Yumi moaned in pain for the second time, her fumbling fingers buzzed for the doctor's attention.
When Sei returned from the cafeteria, she found Sachiko outside the intensive care unit with an unreadable expression upon her face. A doctor and a nurse were in Yumi's ward changing her drips but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
"Penny for your thoughts?" asked a puzzled Sei who was unsure what Sachiko was doing outside the room. But before she could hear Sachiko's reply, Yumi's brother called out to her with his parents in tow.
"Sei-san! How is Yumi?"
Three worried faces waited anxiously for the blonde's response, ignoring the other woman. Yuuki and his parents had taken the first available flight out of Japan to Paris and came straight to the hospital after the plane landed upon hearing the news of Yumi's accident. However, further questions were interrupted by the doctor's exit from Yumi's room.
"All of you must be Yumi's family," the kindly doctor assumed aloud before continuing, "There is nothing to worry as she is out of the critical phase. Yumi is now resting under the influence of painkillers and sedatives as she requires more sleep to heal her injuries. She has awoken a while ago and her vitals are strong. She may be moved to a normal ward tomorrow if her good performance keeps up, however, only up to 3 visitors may be allowed in her room at any time while she is here."
"Will she be able to recover fully?" asked Yumi's mother.
"Yes, there are no foreseeable lingering damage to her body. Her back may be sore for a year or so, but with physiotherapy and frequent massages she will recover well. However, it is vital that she needs to refrain from over-exerting herself for the next two years and to come back for checkups every half year."
With a gentle smile, the doctor continued his way to another ward.
Yumi's parents went into the room immediately, wanting to see for themselves that their baby girl was really alright. Yuuki, however, remained outside. He observed Sachiko for a moment, taking in the defeated pose of the taller woman. Yumi's wife was a formidable woman who rarely slouched, but she did it now as if the weight of the whole world had landed on her shoulders. He felt a little pity for her. No matter what may have happened between his sister and the woman before him, she must have felt a great amount of guilt and worry at seeing her wife lying in the hospital bed. Now that his sister had woken up, she probably did not know how to face her. He could see that her mixed emotions were eating at her. But he knew, despite the time apart from each other, that his sister and this woman were still deeply in love with each other. They had that kind of love.
"They're angry at you, Sachiko-san, for causing Yumi such heartache," murmured Yuuki, "it will take some time to get back in their good graces again, so I will advise you to steer clear in the meantime."
After a nod of acknowledgement from his sister-in-law, Yuuki entered Yumi's room.
It was midnight when Yumi roused from her sleep. Groggily, she tried to ascertain where she was before remembering that she was at the hospital. Just like the previous time she had woken up, Sachiko was beside her. This time though, the taller woman was asleep in the chair, her head lying on an empty spot on Yumi's bed. She slowly moved her uninjured hand to stroke her wife's midnight tresses, contented to feel its satin softness once again.
Feeling a soft sensation on her head, Sachiko stirred awake. When she saw Yumi's weak smile at her, it seemingly broke a dam within her. At first, it was silent tears escaping from the confines of her eyelids… then, as the pent-up worry and sadness began to overwhelm her, she began sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry Yumi, I'm so so sorry. It was entirely my fault. I should have done better. What would I do without you?"
At the sight of the love of her life so miserable before her, Yumi's heart clenched with a great anguish. She vaguely recalled the dreams she had while comatose, and the beautiful memories that they shared. But her greatest source of strength came from her desire to see Sachiko once again, and that had drawn her out from the realm of darkness and into the light. Yumi cupped her wife's left cheek, delicately wiping away the tears that had leaked from her beautiful eyes, preventing her from wallowing further in her own guilt.
"I know you didn't mean it, Sa-chan, but I would like to hear your explanation," rasped Yumi, her soft gaze never leaving Sachiko.
The older woman took a calming breath and gave Yumi a sad smile upon hearing her rarely uttered nickname from Yumi's lips.
"It was fear, Yumi, which caused me to pull away from you. Although I have tried many times to manage my work life balance, I could not stop myself from worrying about work. And because I didn't spend as much time as I liked with you, I feared that you would come to begrudge me. That was why I could not tell you about my 10 month trip until 2 days before the trip itself… I was afraid of your reaction. Ultimately, it was my foolishness that had caused us both so much pain."
"Silly Sa-chan," Yumi admonished weakly, her throat dry from the long sleep. "You have nothing to fear from me. I have wandered through the lonely darkness, and I have realized that the only light in that world came from the beautiful memories of us. My desire for you brought me back to your side once again, allowing me to escape from the demons in my heart."
"Yumi… I…"
"Shh… don't say any more, Sa-chan. I forgive you. Now, would you please give me a hug to reassure me that I'm not still dreaming?"
Without hesitation, Sachiko hugged the smaller woman, taking care not to exacerbate her injuries, thankful to have her love in her arms once again. She swore, right then, to never surrender to her insecurities again; nothing else would matter more to her than the woman in her arms. She promised herself that she would do better, starting with making amends with Yumi's family and taking control of her work affairs. Even if happy ever after only existed in fairy tales, she would do her damn best to make sure that it was their future together.
"Has the matter between them been cleared up?" Youko asked as she cleaned the baby bottle.
"Yes, my dear," replied Sei, as she rocked the baby's cradle. "If it were possible, I'll say their love for each other has grown stronger because of it."
Youko wiped her hands dry after she placed the bottle back in the cupboard. She went over to Sei and embraced her from behind, placing a soft kiss on the porcelain neck in front of her.
"Thank you, my love, for everything you've done."
THE END
A/N: It's been 6 long years since the last update. This fandom has more than doubled in size since then, and I am glad to see many pieces of good writing making its way into it. I have grown from my mid-teens into a young adult now and my writing style has changed slightly due to years of academic writing. I hope that this chapter did not differ too much from the previous chapters, and that it is worthy of a 6 years wait. I don't know how many readers here remembers this story, but from the reviews I have gotten in the past, I know at least that others have perceived some value in the completion of this story. Like many past reviewers have commented, this chapter is a debt to my readers and I have now cleared it. It is unlikely that I will write anymore lengthy stories in this fandom, but I will always welcome suggestions or word prompts for short drabbles.
Last but not least, please leave a review if you've read and liked this story, if only to provide comfort for this author that I have been forgiven for almost giving up on this story. I would also greatly appreciate if you could point out grammatical errors that I might have missed out as this story is unbeta'd. Thank you all.
