A/N - Is there a more interesting way of putting it? Own these characters, I do not.

Chapter 31

"Yumi-chan, hold still." Yoshino admonished from behind her friend. Yumi had been released from the hospital the next morning following another harrowing round of chemo. The doctors had acknowledged that the chemo was having a harsh impact on Yumi, but stated that it was to be expected given the pace and intensity of their treatment plan. Once more, her friends were in doubt as to the wisdom of such a course of treatment, but Yumi was ever quick to wave off their concerns.

Now they found themselves back at Yumi's shared apartment, Yoshino having volunteered to escort her for the day. Since the episode in the greenhouse, Yumi had accepted without complaint that her friends would no longer allow her to wander unaccompanied. If she were alone when leaving the apartment, hospital, or school someone was always waiting for her at her destination and stayed by her side nearly every minute she was awake.

To her surprise, with so many of her friends helping her, it didn't appear that any of them were letting their studies suffer. This at least gave her a small measure of comfort and allowed her to accept the help and care almost willingly.

"I can't help but be nervous." Yumi mumbled as she sat on the stool in the middle of the kitchen. That morning she had woken to find tufts of her hair on her pillow and was distraught to see how patchy her hair had become. That was why she had accepted Yoshino's offer to shave her and why she found herself now faced with the reality of her soon-to-be-bald head.

"It's hair. It'll grow back in no time!" Yoshino sounded far too energetic and positive for the situation. Yumi knew she was trying to be encouraging, so she made sure not to point out that her enthusiasm, given the situation, was fairly misplaced.

"It's still unnerving." Yumi admitted, straightening in her seat. "Just do it. There's no reason for me to postpone this anyway.

"Do you want to send a photo for Sachiko-sama once we're done?"

"No!" At that moment the root of Yumi's nervousness was unearthed.

"Seriously, Yumi, are you really worried what Sachiko will think of you being bald? You can't be for real right now!" Yoshino shook her friend from behind while Yumi tried to pull away.

"I know! I know!" Yumi shook off her friend's hold and admonished herself. "I'm an idiot. I get it, okay? I just don't want her to see me like that for the first time in a photo over text."

"You've been exchanging photos every day since she left, haven't you?" Scissors appeared in Yumi's peripheral vision just before she heard the first snip and saw her hair fall to the ground at her feet. Yoshino didn't pause or make the moment more significant than it was. She merely continued snipping strand after strand.

"Well, yes…" Yumi responded, hypnotically watching as strands of her hair met with the ground.

"Then won't she find it odd that she isn't going to get a picture of you over the next few days?"

Much to Yumi's and Sachiko's disappointment, the business trip had been extended through the weekend to accommodate a gathering the client had planned at the spur of the moment. "Um, I guess so. I'll just send her some that I took a while ago instead."

"You think she's not going to see through that, Yumi-chan?" Yoshino's tone indicated her doubt.

"Probably not… but I just don't think I can do it…"

"Well, good luck then. I wouldn't want to be the one trying to get that one by my Onee-sama though." Yoshino chuckled, despite the difficult topic, trying desperately to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, well Rei-sama would simply hunt you down herself to figure out what's going on." Yumi laughed with her friend, genuinely grateful for the lightheartedness Yoshino was bringing the moment.

"Truer words have never been spoken." They both took the moment to laugh heartily before Yoshino went back to the task at hand.

Thirty minutes later, Yumi ran her hand over her head. It was the oddest sensation to feel smooth skin rather than her long hair. Turning to face Yoshino she asked quietly, "How bad is it? I'm a freak, right? Completely ugly and intolerable to look at?"

Quizzical eyes studied Yumi as Yoshino held her own chin in her hand and peered at her from across the room.

Finally, unable to take it any longer and blushing furiously, Yumi hid her face and mumbled, "I knew it!"

Gentle hands were instantly there, pulling her hands away from her face. Yoshino's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she smiled at her friend. "You look beautiful, Yumi-chan."

Taking a mirror from the counter, she held it up for Yumi to see herself. To her utter shock, Yumi found a total stranger staring back at herself. The lack of hair seemed to make her look more mature, her face losing some of its childishness and gaining an angular appearance now that her hair was not gently framing her cheeks. While it was a shock to look at, it actually didn't look altogether unpleasant as Yumi had feared.

A gasp sounded from the doorway and Yumi turned to find Sei standing wide-eyed staring at her. "Yumi-chan…" Sei breathed, moving closer and reaching out as if to run her fingers through Yumi's hair as she always had before.

Blushing still, Yumi averted her gaze and whispered, "What do you think?"

Before Sei could respond, Yoshino stepped out of the room on the pretense of making a call to the rest of the council who were feverishly preparing for the upcoming graduation and parties.

Alone with Yumi, Sei let her finger caress her cheek and around her ear until her hand rested gently at the knap of her neck. Using her other hand, she gently guided Yumi's head up until their eyes met. "You are a beautiful woman and Sachiko is the lucky one to have gained your affection. That's what I think. Never doubt it." Leaning down, she placed a compassionate kiss on her rosy cheek.

Taking a step back, Sei held up a finger indicating she should wait where she was and then disappeared only to reappear a moment later with a small gift bag in hand. Handing it to Yumi she smiled. "While I don't see a real need for you to cover your beauty, it is cold outside so you might have a use for this."

Looking into the bag, Yumi found a knit cap in a deep burgundy color. It was in a trendy, slouch style that Yumi had always wanted to try and wear. Eagerly, she took it from the bag and tried it on. Using the hand mirror she adjusted it and then turned back to Sei, who was grinning in satisfaction with how her gift had been received.

"How is this?" Yumi giggled, doing a slow spin, being careful not to lose her balance in her ever-present dizziness.

"You look delightful, Yumi-chan. I could eat you up!" With a wink and a roguish grin she added in a whisper, "But that's a pleasure only allowed for Sachiko, isn't it?"

Her gentle blush instantly blossoming into a fiery one, Yumi stumbled over her response. "Se- Sei-sama!"

Giggling maniacally, Sei sidled closer as she responded. "Don't tell me you weren't thinking the same!"

"Of- Of course I wasn't thinking that!" Yumi turned her back to the older woman, too embarrassed to stand openly in her gaze.

After a moment, Sei called her. "Yumi-chan."

Still blushing feverishly, Yumi merely looked at her over her shoulder. Click

"Sei-sama!" Yumi couldn't believe her friend had just taken her photo.

"What?" Sei asked with a grin. Turning the phone around so Yumi could see the photo, she commented, "Sachiko deserves to see this bit of sexiness, don't you think?"

Yumi was taken aback by the obvious alluring appearance of the photo. It was evident that she had no hair, but at the same time, there were so many things in the photo that detracted from that conspicuous issue. Yumi found herself wanting Sachiko to see it.

The moment after Sei had withdrawn her phone from view, Yumi felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Sei had sent the picture to her rather than directly to Sachiko. "I'll give you the honors, Yumi-chan." With a smile, Sei stepped out of the kitchen.

After making her way to her room, Yumi took only a few minutes to build up her courage before she sent the photo to her lover. Her heart pounded as she waited for a response. It was late, but surely Sachiko wasn't in bed already. Thankfully, she didn't have to wait too terribly long before her phone lit up with a call from her distant partner.

"Hello?" Yumi picked up, nervous to hear her lover's voice once more.

"Yumi, why would you send me this photo?" Sachiko's voice seemed strained, which made Yumi nervous.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Yumi felt a stab of disappointment at the unexpected reaction. "I just…"

"Don't send me that kind of photo when I have no way of getting to you." Sachiko was utterly serious as she spoke. "Do you realize how frustrated I become when I see you like that and can't take you in my arms?"

"I - oh, huh?" Yumi realized then how utterly mistaken she had been and couldn't help but giggle. "Really?"

"Oh my god, Yumi… How am I ever going to sleep now?"

"I have an idea," Yumi whispered huskily.

The pause from Sachiko's side was tantalizing. Finally, her voice, thick with desire whispered in return, "And what might that be?"

"Come home and you can have your way with me, Saaaachiko." She drew out her lover's name, playing with it in the most alluring way Sachiko had ever heard.

Groaning into the receiver, Sachiko responded, "I want nothing more."

Yumi briefly toyed with the idea of making love together right then but knew instinctively that neither of them was brave enough for that step. Not yet. Anyway, she had no doubt that her own hands could never compare with that of Sachiko's. Though just the thought of Sachiko's hands on her sent shivers up her spine.

"When are you coming home, my love?" Yumi spoke breathlessly, wanting nothing more than to beg Sachiko to return that very moment.

"Not soon enough." Sighing, Sachiko was obviously disappointed in their delayed return. "The party is tomorrow evening, so it looks like our flight will be on Sunday afternoon."

"Okay, I guess I can hold out that long." Yumi smiled into the receiver, feeling the need to comfort her frustrated lover.

"I'm not so sure I can though," Sachiko grumbled. After a moment of silence, she added, "Can I get more pictures of you?"

"Won't that make you more… frustrated?" Yumi's grin turned mischievous. "Didn't you just tell me not to send these to you?"

"Well, I'm almost back to my hotel room now, not sitting next to my father in the hotel restaurant. Once I'm there I wouldn't mind getting as many photos of you as you can send. You know, just this once." Fervent desire laced every word Sachiko spoke. Yumi knew what her words implied and blushed once more as fanciful images danced through her head.

However, Yumi knew there was no way she could send those kinds of pictures, not in the state her body was in. Sachiko had only been gone a few days but even that had taken a toll on the younger girl's body. The flush on her cheeks in the earlier photo had helped to give her a healthier appearance, but that wouldn't work for the rest of her body. She didn't want Sachiko to see how pale she actually was or how she was already losing weight. Ever since the treatment began she hadn't been able to keep a single meal down. Living on broth was not the best option, but it was getting her through the days, though not without a cost.

She didn't want to deny Sachiko, but at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to accommodate her in this either. "I'm sorry, my love. I'm already in bed with the lights out. Treatment today was difficult and I'm exhausted." None of it was a lie, but she still felt a tinge of guilt at not being completely honest.

There was silence on the line for half a heartbeat before Sachiko's comforting voice soothed away all her worries. "Then you rest, my love. You have another treatment tomorrow and we wouldn't want you in worse shape for that one. Just two more nights and I'll be able to hold you again."

Crawling under the covers, Yumi pulled Sachiko's pillow to her chest and cuddled it while setting the phone on speakerphone beside her. "I can't wait. Sachiko," Slightly embarrassed, Yumi whispered a request. "Stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course. Shall I sing to you?"

"Mmmmm, yes, please. I love you."

"I adore you, Yumi." As Sachiko's mesmerizing voice sang a lullaby sweetly, Yumi closed her eyes and imagined the pillow in her arms was her lover. When sleep finally came, it was deep and peaceful, filled with tender dreams of days and dates she wished fervently to come to pass.

A/N - "I adore you." :) I love to say it that way. I personally use this instead of I love you. Anyone else have a favorite way to say "I love you" to their partners or spouses?