A/N: We shouldn't expect that they will be back in each other's arms just like that.

Momoiiey, Spikesagitta, deatheater2493, rose1223, .otaku, rai, clarec97, Nathan5th, kuma-bear, r..shyler, uwiechan, Ayou – rushing, threats, encouragements, complaints, and thanks for Chapter 9, they were all welcomed and made me laugh/smile, really ;) Will I receive the same after this chapter? Guess I'll find out soon enough ;)

Chapter 10. The Step

Even days after what happened at Touko's party, Yumi's heart still raced and her cheeks flushed at the memory. And she could still feel her lips throbbing, where Sachiko's soft lips landed. And she was restless since then.

She hadn't seen Sachiko after the party. In fact, she hadn't seen her after that dance. Touko said that Sachiko had to go home early because of business matters. Yes, Sachiko had now graduated college and working at their company.

She was, somehow at the corner of her heart, expecting that she and Sachiko would met again, would see each other again, probably talk. Though somehow, she was also scared, scared that Sachiko had really changed after she left her at the airport that time, when Sachiko told her that she loved her. However, she was too scared then, too scared to believe that it was true, that it wasn't just a game to hurt her more. But didn't Sachiko almost kneel then had she not stopped her? And at Touko's graduation party, Sachiko kissed her, no matter how brief it was, it was still a kiss in the lips and had sent her frozen. What was Sachiko thinking?

She had avoided hearing anything from Sachiko ever since she left Japan. Her friends must have understood, because they never once mentioned Sachiko's name. Even when Touko came for a visit, she was tactful enough to not to brought the subject up. Although now, she realized, instead of solving her problems then and now, she ran away. She ran away from Sachiko at the airport without really hearing her out. She ran away to the US without even talking to Sachiko, without closure to everything. However, she was too young then, Yumi defended to herself. She was too young then to understand other things except what she felt, what she wanted, and that was Sachiko she wanted then. And even now, she realized, it was still her that she wanted.

But now that she fairly believed that she had grown up emotionally, then probably it was the time to put closure to her relationship with Sachiko and really moved on, moved on with her life, no matter how painful it would be, because she fairly believed too, that Sachiko really have moved on no matter what she did at the party.

---o---

Yumi eyed the sleek silver car at their garage. Dad probably had a visitor, she thought as she entered their house, only to be frozen in place to see a familiar long flowing black hair and an elegant figure that turned at the sound of her footsteps. 'What is she doing here?' Her mind screamed.

"Ah, good, Yumi-chan is here. Yumi-chan, Mom and I are going to a friend's house. Please take care of our beautiful visitor."

Even when Dad and Mom had left already, Yumi still stood frozen, staring at Sachiko. What was going on? Mom and Dad were so at ease with Sachiko. Of course her parents weren't rude people, but it was just so surprising to see them acting as if they and Sachiko were really close.

"Yumi, are you alright? Should I come here some other time?" Sachiko asked, a bit worried.

"No, of course not. Please forgive my rudeness," Yumi apologized, chiding herself for acting silly.

---o---

Minutes had passed and yet, Sachiko and Yumi remained quiet, facing each other at the living room, sipping their tea, glancing at each other from time to time, then would look away whenever their eyes met. Yumi was worried that Sachiko could hear her heart beating so loud, which in fact, it was almost deafening her.

"Sachiko, to whom or to what do I owe this visit?" Yumi started, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I have something to talk to you, Yumi, if you have time to listen," Sachiko said softly.

"Of course. I'm all ears."

"Thank you, Yumi."

Sachiko was silent for a moment, before she met her gazed squarely. Oh how Yumi missed those beautiful blue eyes.

"I didn't finish then, what I wanted to say, so I want to finish it now. I love you, love you so much, and have kept you in my heart all these years, even when I know that you hate me. I've been a fool before, so foolish to think that my decision then was the best for us, the best for you, and thinking the worse about my parents when all along, all they wanted was for me to be happy, to live my life as I want to. I'm so stupid to not to listen to you, Yumi. If I hadn't been so blind, so stubborn, so coward, then I could have saved us from a lot of trouble and pain."

Sachiko stopped, almost scared to continue when Yumi's face remained calm. She steeled herself as she continued.

"I'm so sorry, Yumi, I'm so sorry for hurting you. I'm so sorry for all the pain I've caused you when all you did was love me, care for me. I realized then, though it took me some time, that I couldn't ask for your forgiveness, I can only beg for it. And even with that, I don't expect that everything would be back to what it was before, because I know that I've destroyed everything, that I've destroyed you. But if ever you will forgive me, and love me again, I can promise you now that I won't hurt you again, for I believe that I'm stronger now, I know what I want now, and I know what I need to do."

Tears stung Sachiko's eyes when she got no reaction from Yumi. This was what she dreaded the most, of Yumi not forgiving her, of Yumi forgetting her, of losing Yumi's love. She blinked when a handkerchief was offered to her.

"Please give me some time to think, Sachiko," Yumi said, considering her words carefully. "It's not easy. Though I still love you, I don't know if I can trust you again, if I'll trust my love, my heart, to you again. I loved you before, and you broke my heart in return."

Sachiko cried harder, quietly, at the hurt in Yumi's voice, at the hurt in Yumi's face.

"Oh Yumi, I'm so sorry, I'm very, very sorry."

Later that night, and the days after, Yumi was deep in thought. She badly wanted to believe Sachiko, but she was scared at the same time. True, she wanted to be with Sachiko, and that her love for her didn't fade away but in fact, it only seemed to grow. But at the same time, she knew that her hesitance could mar their love if they would be together, and would probably destroy them together forever. If she wouldl be with Sachiko, she wanted it to be pure, no hesitance, no fear, just trust and love through and through.

"You're thinking about her again?"

Yumi jolted at the sound of her Mom's voice. She hadn't noticed her coming to her room.

"What do you mean, Mom?"

"Sachiko-chan. You're thinking about her."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact. And Yumi couldn't lie to her Mom. How many times had she seen her like this, staring at nothing, mind in another world?

"You still love her, don't you?" Mom continued.

Yumi nodded slowly, before staring back outside through the window.

"But I'm scared, Mom. What if I get hurt again? I don't want to go through that pain again. And I don't want to hurt you, Dad and Yuuki again."

"Love is not without pain, Yumi-chan. It is part of loving and being loved. But what is important is how you learn and grew strong with each pain, and how you stood up to face life and move again. And no matter how painful it is, if your love for each other is strong, then everything would be just fine no matter what happens. It would always bring you together if you are meant to be."

"But I don't know if Sachiko truly loves me the way I do, Mom."

"So what if she loves you less than you do? Does that make you love her less?"

Yumi shook her head. Certainly not. She loved Sachiko so much. But what if…

"You know, when Dad and I came back from the States two years ago, do you know who our first visitor? It's Sachiko-chan."

Yumi's eyes widened. She didn't know that. Heart thumping, she faced Mom to make sure that she would hear everything.

"We were surprise then, and we almost didn't want to entertain her because she hurt you. However, looking at her, we realized that you weren't alone with your pain. And so we listened as she told us everything, and we understood, and couldn't feel any resentment to her anymore. She loved our Yumi-chan, loved her with all her heart, and did what she thought was best for her even if she hurt you in the process."

"She said that?"

"Yes, and more. You know, she always comes here from time to time, visiting us, asking about us, about you, how are you doing, are you safe, are you alright, how she missed you so much, and how scared she is, things like that. Someone would have thought that Dad and I had another daughter who just didn't live with us before, what with Sachiko-chan's frequent appearance in this house, even when she was so tired from a business trip, or from school. It didn't stop her from trying to get closer to us."

Suddenly, the cloud of doubt left Yumi's heart. It seemed to her now that Sachiko had been doing her part already. Now she had to do hers.

A/N: Sorry about this chapter. So tired of writing already. Does it make any sense to the story? I hope it does.

We will put closure to everything at the next chapter. Have a nice day! ;)

---Arvendell---

24 March 2008