Chapter nine: The due drops of pure love.
Clef turned round on the side of the fountain, to look into its water to try and calm his mind, as he turned to do so he saw, much to his absolute amazement Umi was sitting, quietly in contemplation on the other side of the fountain, his face lit up at the sight of her. "Umi?" He spoke in a whisper, but this was enough to shatter the tender silence of the night like a pain of glass into a million peace.
Umi, jumped at the sound of his voice in the velvet softness of the night. Slowly she turned round to see Clef on the opposite side of the fountain to her, his face shone with happiness that she was there.
Umi blushed as she saw him and recalled what had happened earlier that day. "Clef…" Her voice was just as soft as his had been and her face now filled too with happiness at the sight of the man she loved.
With the same intention they both stood up at the same time the pair of them walked round the waterfall towards each other and eventually the two of them met.
As soon as he could Clef took Umi's hands in his, he squeezed it tightly, with eyes filled with concern he spoke. "Why are you out here so late, is there something wrong?"
Umi smiled up at Clef, she was touched to know of his concern for her. "I'm fine Clef really I just had a strange dream that's all."
Clef looked at her surprised. "How odd that's why I'm up too."
Umi laughed a little as did Clef, their eyes met and a silence born out of tenderness fell over them both. When the two of them spoke it was oddly together. "What was your dream about?"
They laughed and tried again. "You go first."
The two of them sat down on the side of the fountain together as they were laughing so hard now, the two of them looked at each other and carried on laughing they didn't care who heard them they were to happy to hide it.
After quite some time in hysterics the two of them looked at each other and a wordless moment fell over them again.
After sometime of being lost in one another's eyes, Clef broke the silence. "Ladies first, tell me all about this weird dream of yours."
Umi smiled at Clef and nodded. "Alight since you insist and as it would be impolite to ignore a gentleman's request here I go... I dreamt that I was a mermaid and I was swimming up towards the surface of the sea, on my way up I came across Celes. I stopped when I saw him I patted him and then scratched him under the chin her purred at me. The wearied thing was I could feel another presence in him, it was familiar but before I could work out were I knew it from my dream presence was swimming up to the surface of the sea and as soon as I surfaced the dream stopped and I woke up in bed."
Clefs eyes were wide. "Ok this is extraordinary I had the same dream but from Celes' view point. It must have been my perchance you felt, which meant we dream shared, which only occurs between people whom are very intimate on when Mokona is trying to tell us what is to come."
Umi looked at him eyes wide. "Clef, what do you think our dream is a case of?"
Clef studied Umi for a moment, she for once seamed to be afraid and actually wanting his protection from what ever was scaring her at this moment and Clef was determined to give her that protection. "I think it is a case of being both kinds. Thought what Mokona was quite trying to tell us with that dream I do not know."
Umi threw herself into Clefs chest; he felt his body react to her doing that. Umi felt his strong chest against her, the sensation of it comforted her and she gripped his dressing robe with one hand like a small child "I'm scared Clef." Her voice quavered.
"I'm here I'll protect you. Nothing will ever hurt you whilst I'm alive I swear, I would give my life to make shore no harm ever came to you." His voice was deep and quiet as he spoke carrying tremendous weight.
Umi looked at Clef her eyes wide, she knew he meant every word of what he had just said to her because the intense truth of his words was etched into his handsome features and deep midnight blue eyes.
Umi placed her head against his chest, with a soft sigh and Clef pulled her close to him, cradling her head with one of his long fingered hands the other one was firmly around her waist. "Thank you Clef but who will protect me when I go home?"
Clefs heart filled with horror, Umi was right he couldn't protect her when she went home, Clef wanted to cry out in despair but before he did he saw inside himself a bright shinning new light. Clef analysed it closely it was a new ability and what his minds analysing of it reviled startled him greatly. "I can protect you when you are at home, it appears that my want in my heart to protect you is so great that I now have the ability to come to Earth and back to here when ever I want. So if you need me I can come to protect you."
Umi stared up at him, her eyes wide and soft and slowly she smiled. "That's wonderful Clef it really is, I couldn't wish for any one else or better to take care of me."
Clef smiled proudly at her, his eyes were full of pride at Umi's words and then Umi laid her head back on his chest, she sighed deeply and contentedly.
Clef found a strange desire growing in him as he looked at her, Clef found himself wanting to pin Umi down to the ground and take her then and there. However he controlled this want barely, as he didn't want to do any thing that Umi didn't want him too.
Umi could heart his heart beat getting faster, she wondered what was coursing that, she vaguely hoped it was her and that it meant that Clef was as exited by her as she was by him.
For a brief moment Umi flushed, as she found this wish was true, she looked up into his eyes, Clef gulped as she looked at him and then smiled as he noticed her flush. "Umi. . ." His voice was soft.
"Clef you really want me."
Clef nodded, Umi noticed his eyes had darkened even further they were like two endless dark pools of space and she was willing to drown in them, in him. She put her hands up on to his shoulders and squeezed them very tightly. "I want you too."
Clef drew in a shocked, shuddering breath. "Umi do you mean that?"
Umi smiled slightly and placed a hand to his face. "Yes Clef I mean it I, want you with all of my heart but we shouldn't rush into this. . . I mean just because you want me it doesn't mean you love me. . ." Umi rose to her feat, with out looking back at Clef she walked out of the garden.
Clef was deadly white were he was still sitting on the edge of the fountain he stood up, but his legs gave way under him and he fell to the ground, Clef saw the blackness rushing towards him. As it did he found himself unable to believe that she didn't think he loved her. He felt that he'd grown up for no reason; he had to stay grown now his power was too large for him to cope with as he used to be.
As he drifted in his sleep Clef became determined never to wake up unless Umi needed him to protect her, even if she didn't believe he loved her he swore to himself that he would protect her no matter what.