Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction ❯ Let Me Stay With You ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Grey Fox 
I didn't really plan on doing this, but since everyone asked so nicely, here's a follow-up chapter. Enjoy all the Umi/Clef fluffiness!!!
Anime/Manga: Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 09.25.2003 | Updated On: 09.25.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 828 | Status: Completed
I didn't really plan on doing this, but since everyone asked so nicely, here's a follow-up chapter. Enjoy all the Umi/Clef fluffiness!!!
Anime/Manga: Magic Knight Rayearth Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance | Type: One Shot | Uploaded On: 09.25.2003 | Updated On: 09.25.2003 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.3K | Visits: 828 | Status: Completed
Let Me Stay With You
chapter 2
a sappy Umi/Clef romance fic
by Grey Fox
9-25-2003
Disclaimer: I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth; the talented ladies of CLAMP do. All hail them for their brilliance.
**************
Clef slowly awoke in his bed, tepidly trying to recall what had happened last night as he did so, a habit the studious, disciplined mage had acquired over the centuries. At first, all that came back to him were bitter memories of all the exhaustive work he had to do yesterday. Those people from Chizeta sure haven't made his life any easier. Then he remembered that he took a hot bath, and.... things got really fuzzy after that. But he had some vague recollections of a dream. A dream that involved.... Umi. Clef winced at this as he sat up. Why was he tortured with a dream about the girl he secretly loved? There was no way....
Suddenly, Clef became aware of something in his bed that definitely didn't belong there. Someone else was occupying it! Someone with long.... flowing.... blue.... hair.... UMI!!! It wasn't a dream at all!! She really had come to him last night, and said that she loved him, just as he did her. Clef just stared at her, agape. She was so indescribably beautiful, and she looked so peaceful sleeping there, smiling broadly, looking so happy, as if her deepest desire had been fulfilled.
Clef had no idea how long he sat there gawking, but eventually, Umi stirred and her eyes slowly opened. She almost immediately turned to face Clef, as if her gaze had been attracted to him magnetically. "It.... it wasn't a dream," she said softly.
"N-no, it wasn't," was Clef's unsteady reply, still thinking that the whole situation was too good to be true.
Umi smiled a big, mischievious smile. "Good," was all she said. With impossible speed, she reached out and ensnared Clef in her arms, effortlessly pulling him back down to the bed with her. Clef let out a yelp in surprise, but Umi sweetly whispered in his ear, "Calm down, my love," and Clef relaxed a little. Umi then hugged Clef tighter and closer to her, sighing romantically as she snuggled up with the man she loved. She started to playfully fumble with Clef's locks of lavender hair. It felt so good, to be able to hold him close like this, cuddling him. It made Umi feel like as long as Clef was with her, the universe couldn't do a thing to him, and he'd be hers, forever. Her little Clef....
Clef reveled in the sensation of being held so close by Umi; he felt as if he were almost melting into her arms. He closed his eyes as Umi fidgeted with his hair and let himself drift off. He was becoming hypnotized by the sound of Umi's steady breathing, the beating of her heart, the warmth of her body enveloping him. He had never been this close with any woman before. And oh, how he was enjoying it....
A fact not lost on Umi.
"Well, I can tell SOMEONE'S happy!" Umi suddenly said. Clef looked at her, puzzled, wondering what she was talking about. Then realization swept over him as he remembered he was only wearing a flimsy bath robe, and thus Umi could easily sense....
Umi was giggling like mad at Clef's disposition, while he was just staring back at her, a look of indignation on his face. "That's not funny!" he cried as he sat up.
Umi just smiled back at him. "Oh, but it is! It is!" she replied. But then again, Clef did have a point; he really wasn't wearing much, while she was still fully clothed. Their current situation was indeed a bit unfair. But then, an idea suddenly popped into Umi's head, and a big, mischievious smile crossed her face yet again. "Well, if you're that upset, I've got an idea about how I can level the playing field," she said seductively. Then, with one swift motion, she sat up and took off her t-shirt and threw it aside, leaving her with only a white, lacy bra to cover her.... top.
Clef's indignation now turned to utter shock, his gaze fixed on the portions of Umi's body that she had just so generously revealed to him. He felt as if his eyeballs were going to pop right out of his skull.
"Umm, Clef, my face is up here," Umi said teasingly, pointing upwards. Clef finally forced himself to look up at Umi, who was still smiling broadly.
"I, er, well, uhh," Clef fumbled with is words, trying to find something to say, but his brain was refusing to cooperate at the moment, for obvious reasons.
Umi didn't mind. She had actually expected this sort of reaction from him. In fact, he seemed to let himself be seduced so easily and quickly. The respectful and disciplined mage, undone so easily by one young girl. And Umi liked that. Liked the sense of power it gave her, knowing that she could not only physically overpower him, but how she could so easily ensnare him with her wiles. It was that disposition of his that made Clef so delightfully charming.
"C'mere you," Umi said, once again reaching out and dragging him close to her. This time though, she brought his face up to hers and locked lips with him. Clef was overcome with shock yet again, but thoroughly enjoyed the kiss, their tongues dancing in unison. Umi then took his hands in hers and positioned his arms around her back, and likewise wrapped her arms around his, as she continued the deep, passionate kiss.
How long this went on - seconds, minutes, hours - neither of them could say. All they did know is that their little make-out session was rudely interrupted by a loud "YAAAAHHHH!!!" coming from the door. Umi and Clef broke the kiss and turned to see Ferio standing in the doorway, with a face that looked as if he had seen, well, something that he didn't think he'd see.
Now it was Umi's turn to feel indignant. "FERIO, YOU EVER HEAR OF KNOCKING?!!!" she screamed at the green-haired swordsman.
"I did. Three times," replied Ferio, still looking flabbergasted. "But there was no reply, and, well, I thought something was wrong, and, uh..."
"What did you come here for?" demanded Clef, also angered about the invasion of privacy.
"Well, you've got that meeting with the new governor real soon, and...." Ferio started to say.
"WHAT?!" yelled Clef, cutting Ferio off. He looked over at his timepiece. "It's that late?! Oh no! I have to be over there in twenty minutes!"
"Well, then, um, I guess I'll be leaving now," said Ferio shakily, a look of embarrassment etched on his face. Then he dashed away at breakneck speed before either Umi or Clef had a chance to do anything to him. Which was probably a VERY prudent move on his part.
"Um, Clef, what was that all about?" asked a confused Umi.
"I'm supposed to meet with the newly appointed governor of the Chizeta colony today and discuss a few things," Clef explained as he put on his robes and grabbed his mage-staff. "And I hadn't counted on sleeping this blasted late!"
Umi looked down guiltily. That was probably because of her. "Um, Clef, can I come with you?" she then asked.
"It'll be a bunch of boring diplomatic stuff," said Clef. "I doubt you'll want to be there for that."
"But I can't think of a better way to spend this visit to Cephiro than to be with you," she said pleadingly.
Clef decided to give in to her request. She began to follow Clef out of the bedroom, but he turned to her and said, "Umi, you might want to put your shirt back on." Umi looked down at herself and blushed, then grabbed her t-shirt off the floor and hastily put it back on, not even taking the time to tuck it in.
As Umi and Clef walked down the hallways of the castle of Cephiro, a disturbing thought came to her. "Uh, Clef, do you think Ferio will tell anyone about, well, us?"
Clef thought about it for a minute, then replied. "I believe that Ferio is smart enough to not gossip about me."
"Do you really believe that?" asked Umi.
"No," said Clef.
**************
Umi and Clef walked side-by-side through the streets of the small colony, making their way to the capital building. "So this is the colony I've heard so much about," Umi thought aloud as she looked at all that was going on around her . She had never actually seen what life was like on Chizeta, since the only contact she had had with its people was on the military ship Bravada. So it was quite a new experience for Umi to see normal people from Chizeta going about their daily lives, and she assumed that what she was seeing represented life on Chizeta itself.
Clef's voice snapped Umi out of her thoughts. "We're here," Clef told her. Umi looked ahead of her, and then looked up. The structure that was before them looked like a miniature version of the Bravada, only slightly modified to act as a building.
"Must be some sort of trend," commented Umi.
"What is?" asked Clef, confused.
"Oh, nothing," Umi quickly said, dropping the subject. "Let's just go in."
And go in they did. They were instantly greeted by the capital building's staff, who instantly reminded Umi of the guards she had seen on the Bravada, since their attire was almost exactly the same. One of the guards led them to a small waiting room. "Please have a seat. The governor will be here to meet you shortly," the guard said cordially, then she exited the room, leaving Clef and Umi alone.
"I reeaaaaallly hope this doesn't take too long. I'm still exhausted from yesterday," Clef said irritably.
"Is that so?" asked Umi, a bit of a teasing tone in her voice. "From what I saw, you certainly slept well last night. I know I did!" she told him wryly, winking at him. This caused Clef to blush beet-red. Umi decided to continue teasing him. "Awww, you shouldn't be so embarrassed. I know you enjoyed cuddling up with me last night. I know I did!!" This comment made Clef blush an ever deeper red.
"Umi, do you really think, umm, this is the, well, uh, appropriate time to talk about, well, err, um..." Clef spluttered out nervously. This caused Umi to tingle all over with giddiness even more. He just looked all the more adorable when he was embarrassed and confused. She decided not to answer him and instead lift him off his chair and set him seated on her lap. Then she folded her arms around him and hugged him close. Also, she buried her face in his fluffy, lavender hair and took a big whiff. Everything about Clef - his adorable small size, the ease with which he could be picked up and held so close, the softness of his touch, the very smell of him - all combined to drive Umi mad with passion for him. She held him even closer and tighter. And Clef, despite himself, surrendered to Umi's embrace, beginning to thoroughly enjoy her dominant physical position.
"Awww, now ain't that cute?!"
That voice.... That bizarre... Osaka... accent... No... it couldn't be.....
Umi lifted her head to see where the voice had come from. Standing in the doorway of the waiting room stood none other than Tatra, the first princess of Chizeta. And she was smiling and giggling as she stared at Umi, with Clef seated in her lap.
Clef regained his composure first. He promptly leaped off of Umi's lap and stood at the center of the room, trying to regain his composure and air of authority. It wasn't working; Tatra was still giggling like mad after having seen Umi's little display. Umi then got up out of her chair and walked up to Tatra. "Tatra, it's so good to see you again. I missed you a lot," she told her.
"I've missed you too, Umi. I was startin' t'think I'd never get the opportunity t'see you again." With that, she reached out and embraced Umi with a friendly, sisterly hug. She then let go of her and asked, "What've you been doin' with himself lately?"
"Well, nothing all that exciting, really," admitted Umi. "Just living out a normal life back home on Earth, occassionally coming here to Cephiro..."
"To meet with your boyfriend, obviously!" Tatra cut in, still smiling that carefree smile of hers. "And I must say, the two of you make an impossibly cute couple!!!" Now it was Umi's turn to blush an impossibly deep shade of red. First Ferio, now Tatra! Why did she have such rotten luck, people accidently poking in at the worst possible time?! She didn't even bother looking over at Clef to see how he took Tatra's comment.
But Clef spoke up just then. "Um, Princess Tatra, I'm happy you've gotten the opportunity to see Umi again. However, we're here for a meeting with the new governor of this colony."
Tatra turned to Clef and said, "You're looking at her."
It took a while for Umi's brain to register what she had just heard, but once she did, she could barely contain her surprise. "You mean... YOU'RE the governor?!!!"
Tatra turned to face Umi again. "Indeed I am. Running this colony is important and a huge responsibility, so the royal family decided that I should see to it personally."
Umi nodded, starting to see the logic. "But what about Tarta?" she asked. "Isn't she here too?"
Tatra shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Only one person could be appointed. And I was chosen since I was older," she explained to Umi. "As you might guess though, my dear sister was more than a little upset," she added with a sly smirk.
"Yeah, I bet she was," replied Umi, smirking as well. She knew all too well that Tarta had a short temper like hers. She found herself wishing she could have seen Tarta's reaction when it was decided Tatra would rule the colony as governor.
"Anyway, there's business I have to attend to," said Tatra, turning back to Clef. "We had better get started."
"Ah, yes, of course," Clef responsed uneasily, still mortified that someone had walked in on him and Umi a second time. But now was not the time to dwell on that. Tatra left the waiting room, motioning for Clef to follow, which he did.
*Oh, what the hell? Might as well go in with them,* Umi thought as she followed Clef and Tatra.
**************
Umi continued to sulk in the incredibly comfortable chair she found in one of the many rooms of the castle of Cephiro. Ah man, did she ever need it. Clef was not kidding when he said she would probably find that meeting uninteresting. Political science wasn't exactly one of Umi's strong points in school; actually, it kind of bored her. So for her, that long meeting with Clef and Tatra wasn't really uninteresting - it was absolutely mind-numbing. She would never have guessed anything involving Tatra could be so dull. Thank God she had found this room with this chair; right now, all she wanted to sit here and let her brain recover from the atrophy. In fact, Umi was so out of it, she didn't even hear the soft, gentle footsteps that were gradually coming closer to her. She didn't even notice anyone was in the room with her until she heard someone speak.
"Hello, Umi-chan. Is anything the matter?" she heard a concerned voice ask.
Only one person could be that sweet and polite. It was none other than her dear friend Fuu. Umi lazily turned her head to face her. "Hey Fuu. How was your morning?"
"Oh, very enjoyable, thank you," she replied, as impossibly polite as ever. "But I'm curious as to where you were this morning. I didn't see you around anywhere, nor did anyone else."
"Ah," said Umi, only half-listening. "Well, I pretty much spent the whole morning with Clef."
"Really?" asked Fuu, as if some suspicion of her had just been confirmed. "Well, I see it's true then."
Now Umi was shocked out of her delirium. She turned and gazed at Fuu with a frustrated stare. "What does THAT mean?!" she demanded angrily.
"Well, that you and Clef-sama have gotten together, of course. I'm so happy for you Umi-chan," replied Fuu, again flashing that impossibly sweet smile.
Oh boy, NOW Umi was mad. Forgetting her mentally fatigued state, she stood up and glared at Fuu. "OK, now I'm REALLY pissed off! I swear, whatever Ferio told you...."
"Ferio?" asked Fuu, cutting Umi off. "Didn't hear a word from Ferio. I've known how you've felt about Clef-sama ever since we returned to Cephiro," she explained.
Umi blinked. Now her anger had given way to utter confusion. "You.... have?" she asked stupidly.
"Why yes I have, Umi-chan," said Fuu. "Whenever Clef-sama comes into a room, I notice that your breathing speeds up slightly, you ears turn red and get hot, and you cannot stop glancing at him. I have observed that Clef-sama has the same reaction whenever you enter a room as well."
Umi just continued to stare at Fuu, totally nonplussed. "It was.... THAT OBVIOUS?!!" Fuu simply smiled and nodded. Umi noisily slumped back down into her chair. She suddenly remembered how during their very first time in Cephiro, she had constantly ribbed Fuu for acting like a lovesick little puppy whenever Ferio was around. Seems that now the tables had turned. "But Fuu-chan... how come you never said anything about it to me?"
"I did not feel it was my place to intervene in this matter, and I always assumed that either you or Clef-sama would eventually make the right move," she answered. "It took a bit longer than I had expected, but what is important now is that the two of you are finally together. So, tell me, how exactly did it happen?"
Umi surrendered completely and told Fuu about the previous night and the morning's events in the colony. All the while, Fuu listened attentively as Umi told her tale. When Umi had finished, Fuu clasped her hands together happily and said, "Oh, that is incredibly romantic!" Umi just rolled her eyes. Sometimes Fuu could be a bit too much of a girlie-girl. "Umi-chan, do you have any plans about how to spend the rest of our visit?"
Umi was a bit stunned by the abruptness of this question. For someone who said she hadn't wanted to butt into this situation, she was certainly being nosy about it now. "Well, actually, I have no idea. I want to do something else with Clef though. We only have a couple more days here."
"Well then, I suggest you do something that will leave a big impact; something that will stay fresh in his mind until we come to Cephiro again," suggested Fuu.
Umi considered Fuu's advice. She really wasn't in the mood to think too hard right now, her brain still recovering from that ultra-boring meeting. Something that would leave an impact....
The light bulbs went off in Umi's head. Oh yeah, this would leave an impact, that's for sure....
**************
Umi patiently waited outside, at the very base of the castle of Cephiro. But Umi was not exactly well known for being the patient type. She began to pace around irritably. Damnit, when was he going to arrive?
That question was answered rather abruptly. "Umi, I'm here," she heard Clef say from behind her, startling her slightly. She turned around and smiled at him.
"Well, Clef, I'm glad you came. I've got an idea for something we can do together, but I need your power to do it," she told him.
Clef raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"Remember that other time I came to talk to you, and you magically conjured up that chair for me to sit in?" asked Umi. Clef just nodded. "Well, I know of a device from Earth that I'd like to show you. Is there any way I can.... I dunno.... link with you as you do that creation spell, so you can create this object I'm thinking of?"
Clef considered Umi's request for a minute, then said, "I suppose I could try," holding out his hand. Umi took it in hers, and she heard Clef say, "Now concentrate on what you want to create." Umi closed her eyes and did just that. Then she felt a tingling sensation all over her body, which made her shiver with delight. It was almost as if their auras were joining, melding together.
But just as quickly as it began, the sensation ended. Umi opened her eyes and looked to her right. It worked! To her right was exactly what she had wanted....
A motorcycle. And two helmets, each hanging on a handle. One for both of them.
"Uh, Umi, exactly what is that?" asked a confused Clef. "Is it some means of transportation?"
Umi smiled wickedly at him. "You'll see," she said as she picked him up. She seated herself on the motorcycle and placed Clef in front of her. She then reached for the helmets. One of them was smaller than the other, and even had a hole for Clef's horned headgear to stick through. Clef's spell had worked everything out prefectly. "Put this on," she told him as she put on her own helmet. "Oh, and you might want to do something about your staff," suggested Umi, and Clef took her advice, his staff dematerializing into thin air, to be recalled the next time he desired it.
"Now what?" asked Clef, still bewildered.
Umi didn't answer. Instead, she started up the motorcycle and peeled out. "Get ready for the ride of your life, my little man!" she yelled as they sped off.
"YAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" Clef screamed out of surprise and more-than-just-a-little fear. Umi just laughed teasingly as she rode across the rocky landscape, away from the castle. There were several hours of daylight left, and Umi was going to take advantage of them, giving Clef a ride he would never forget.....
THE END (for real this time)
**************
Author's Note: Yeah, I know I said previously that this was only gonna be a one-chapter story. But hey, I got so much positive feedback, and so many requests to write more, that I decided to give it one more go. Besides, I'm kinda stuck with my *OTHER* Rayearth story, Tragic Heroes, so I figured I'd take a break from that fic and do one more chapter for this story. And don't ask for a third chapter; this is the definitive end of this story. But I might write more fluffy MKR romance somewhere down the line, and hey, if ya want more Rayearth goodness from me, then maybe you should go check out Tragic Heroes. Yeah, shameless plug, I know....
So long,
Grey Fox
chapter 2
a sappy Umi/Clef romance fic
by Grey Fox
9-25-2003
Disclaimer: I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth; the talented ladies of CLAMP do. All hail them for their brilliance.
**************
Clef slowly awoke in his bed, tepidly trying to recall what had happened last night as he did so, a habit the studious, disciplined mage had acquired over the centuries. At first, all that came back to him were bitter memories of all the exhaustive work he had to do yesterday. Those people from Chizeta sure haven't made his life any easier. Then he remembered that he took a hot bath, and.... things got really fuzzy after that. But he had some vague recollections of a dream. A dream that involved.... Umi. Clef winced at this as he sat up. Why was he tortured with a dream about the girl he secretly loved? There was no way....
Suddenly, Clef became aware of something in his bed that definitely didn't belong there. Someone else was occupying it! Someone with long.... flowing.... blue.... hair.... UMI!!! It wasn't a dream at all!! She really had come to him last night, and said that she loved him, just as he did her. Clef just stared at her, agape. She was so indescribably beautiful, and she looked so peaceful sleeping there, smiling broadly, looking so happy, as if her deepest desire had been fulfilled.
Clef had no idea how long he sat there gawking, but eventually, Umi stirred and her eyes slowly opened. She almost immediately turned to face Clef, as if her gaze had been attracted to him magnetically. "It.... it wasn't a dream," she said softly.
"N-no, it wasn't," was Clef's unsteady reply, still thinking that the whole situation was too good to be true.
Umi smiled a big, mischievious smile. "Good," was all she said. With impossible speed, she reached out and ensnared Clef in her arms, effortlessly pulling him back down to the bed with her. Clef let out a yelp in surprise, but Umi sweetly whispered in his ear, "Calm down, my love," and Clef relaxed a little. Umi then hugged Clef tighter and closer to her, sighing romantically as she snuggled up with the man she loved. She started to playfully fumble with Clef's locks of lavender hair. It felt so good, to be able to hold him close like this, cuddling him. It made Umi feel like as long as Clef was with her, the universe couldn't do a thing to him, and he'd be hers, forever. Her little Clef....
Clef reveled in the sensation of being held so close by Umi; he felt as if he were almost melting into her arms. He closed his eyes as Umi fidgeted with his hair and let himself drift off. He was becoming hypnotized by the sound of Umi's steady breathing, the beating of her heart, the warmth of her body enveloping him. He had never been this close with any woman before. And oh, how he was enjoying it....
A fact not lost on Umi.
"Well, I can tell SOMEONE'S happy!" Umi suddenly said. Clef looked at her, puzzled, wondering what she was talking about. Then realization swept over him as he remembered he was only wearing a flimsy bath robe, and thus Umi could easily sense....
Umi was giggling like mad at Clef's disposition, while he was just staring back at her, a look of indignation on his face. "That's not funny!" he cried as he sat up.
Umi just smiled back at him. "Oh, but it is! It is!" she replied. But then again, Clef did have a point; he really wasn't wearing much, while she was still fully clothed. Their current situation was indeed a bit unfair. But then, an idea suddenly popped into Umi's head, and a big, mischievious smile crossed her face yet again. "Well, if you're that upset, I've got an idea about how I can level the playing field," she said seductively. Then, with one swift motion, she sat up and took off her t-shirt and threw it aside, leaving her with only a white, lacy bra to cover her.... top.
Clef's indignation now turned to utter shock, his gaze fixed on the portions of Umi's body that she had just so generously revealed to him. He felt as if his eyeballs were going to pop right out of his skull.
"Umm, Clef, my face is up here," Umi said teasingly, pointing upwards. Clef finally forced himself to look up at Umi, who was still smiling broadly.
"I, er, well, uhh," Clef fumbled with is words, trying to find something to say, but his brain was refusing to cooperate at the moment, for obvious reasons.
Umi didn't mind. She had actually expected this sort of reaction from him. In fact, he seemed to let himself be seduced so easily and quickly. The respectful and disciplined mage, undone so easily by one young girl. And Umi liked that. Liked the sense of power it gave her, knowing that she could not only physically overpower him, but how she could so easily ensnare him with her wiles. It was that disposition of his that made Clef so delightfully charming.
"C'mere you," Umi said, once again reaching out and dragging him close to her. This time though, she brought his face up to hers and locked lips with him. Clef was overcome with shock yet again, but thoroughly enjoyed the kiss, their tongues dancing in unison. Umi then took his hands in hers and positioned his arms around her back, and likewise wrapped her arms around his, as she continued the deep, passionate kiss.
How long this went on - seconds, minutes, hours - neither of them could say. All they did know is that their little make-out session was rudely interrupted by a loud "YAAAAHHHH!!!" coming from the door. Umi and Clef broke the kiss and turned to see Ferio standing in the doorway, with a face that looked as if he had seen, well, something that he didn't think he'd see.
Now it was Umi's turn to feel indignant. "FERIO, YOU EVER HEAR OF KNOCKING?!!!" she screamed at the green-haired swordsman.
"I did. Three times," replied Ferio, still looking flabbergasted. "But there was no reply, and, well, I thought something was wrong, and, uh..."
"What did you come here for?" demanded Clef, also angered about the invasion of privacy.
"Well, you've got that meeting with the new governor real soon, and...." Ferio started to say.
"WHAT?!" yelled Clef, cutting Ferio off. He looked over at his timepiece. "It's that late?! Oh no! I have to be over there in twenty minutes!"
"Well, then, um, I guess I'll be leaving now," said Ferio shakily, a look of embarrassment etched on his face. Then he dashed away at breakneck speed before either Umi or Clef had a chance to do anything to him. Which was probably a VERY prudent move on his part.
"Um, Clef, what was that all about?" asked a confused Umi.
"I'm supposed to meet with the newly appointed governor of the Chizeta colony today and discuss a few things," Clef explained as he put on his robes and grabbed his mage-staff. "And I hadn't counted on sleeping this blasted late!"
Umi looked down guiltily. That was probably because of her. "Um, Clef, can I come with you?" she then asked.
"It'll be a bunch of boring diplomatic stuff," said Clef. "I doubt you'll want to be there for that."
"But I can't think of a better way to spend this visit to Cephiro than to be with you," she said pleadingly.
Clef decided to give in to her request. She began to follow Clef out of the bedroom, but he turned to her and said, "Umi, you might want to put your shirt back on." Umi looked down at herself and blushed, then grabbed her t-shirt off the floor and hastily put it back on, not even taking the time to tuck it in.
As Umi and Clef walked down the hallways of the castle of Cephiro, a disturbing thought came to her. "Uh, Clef, do you think Ferio will tell anyone about, well, us?"
Clef thought about it for a minute, then replied. "I believe that Ferio is smart enough to not gossip about me."
"Do you really believe that?" asked Umi.
"No," said Clef.
**************
Umi and Clef walked side-by-side through the streets of the small colony, making their way to the capital building. "So this is the colony I've heard so much about," Umi thought aloud as she looked at all that was going on around her . She had never actually seen what life was like on Chizeta, since the only contact she had had with its people was on the military ship Bravada. So it was quite a new experience for Umi to see normal people from Chizeta going about their daily lives, and she assumed that what she was seeing represented life on Chizeta itself.
Clef's voice snapped Umi out of her thoughts. "We're here," Clef told her. Umi looked ahead of her, and then looked up. The structure that was before them looked like a miniature version of the Bravada, only slightly modified to act as a building.
"Must be some sort of trend," commented Umi.
"What is?" asked Clef, confused.
"Oh, nothing," Umi quickly said, dropping the subject. "Let's just go in."
And go in they did. They were instantly greeted by the capital building's staff, who instantly reminded Umi of the guards she had seen on the Bravada, since their attire was almost exactly the same. One of the guards led them to a small waiting room. "Please have a seat. The governor will be here to meet you shortly," the guard said cordially, then she exited the room, leaving Clef and Umi alone.
"I reeaaaaallly hope this doesn't take too long. I'm still exhausted from yesterday," Clef said irritably.
"Is that so?" asked Umi, a bit of a teasing tone in her voice. "From what I saw, you certainly slept well last night. I know I did!" she told him wryly, winking at him. This caused Clef to blush beet-red. Umi decided to continue teasing him. "Awww, you shouldn't be so embarrassed. I know you enjoyed cuddling up with me last night. I know I did!!" This comment made Clef blush an ever deeper red.
"Umi, do you really think, umm, this is the, well, uh, appropriate time to talk about, well, err, um..." Clef spluttered out nervously. This caused Umi to tingle all over with giddiness even more. He just looked all the more adorable when he was embarrassed and confused. She decided not to answer him and instead lift him off his chair and set him seated on her lap. Then she folded her arms around him and hugged him close. Also, she buried her face in his fluffy, lavender hair and took a big whiff. Everything about Clef - his adorable small size, the ease with which he could be picked up and held so close, the softness of his touch, the very smell of him - all combined to drive Umi mad with passion for him. She held him even closer and tighter. And Clef, despite himself, surrendered to Umi's embrace, beginning to thoroughly enjoy her dominant physical position.
"Awww, now ain't that cute?!"
That voice.... That bizarre... Osaka... accent... No... it couldn't be.....
Umi lifted her head to see where the voice had come from. Standing in the doorway of the waiting room stood none other than Tatra, the first princess of Chizeta. And she was smiling and giggling as she stared at Umi, with Clef seated in her lap.
Clef regained his composure first. He promptly leaped off of Umi's lap and stood at the center of the room, trying to regain his composure and air of authority. It wasn't working; Tatra was still giggling like mad after having seen Umi's little display. Umi then got up out of her chair and walked up to Tatra. "Tatra, it's so good to see you again. I missed you a lot," she told her.
"I've missed you too, Umi. I was startin' t'think I'd never get the opportunity t'see you again." With that, she reached out and embraced Umi with a friendly, sisterly hug. She then let go of her and asked, "What've you been doin' with himself lately?"
"Well, nothing all that exciting, really," admitted Umi. "Just living out a normal life back home on Earth, occassionally coming here to Cephiro..."
"To meet with your boyfriend, obviously!" Tatra cut in, still smiling that carefree smile of hers. "And I must say, the two of you make an impossibly cute couple!!!" Now it was Umi's turn to blush an impossibly deep shade of red. First Ferio, now Tatra! Why did she have such rotten luck, people accidently poking in at the worst possible time?! She didn't even bother looking over at Clef to see how he took Tatra's comment.
But Clef spoke up just then. "Um, Princess Tatra, I'm happy you've gotten the opportunity to see Umi again. However, we're here for a meeting with the new governor of this colony."
Tatra turned to Clef and said, "You're looking at her."
It took a while for Umi's brain to register what she had just heard, but once she did, she could barely contain her surprise. "You mean... YOU'RE the governor?!!!"
Tatra turned to face Umi again. "Indeed I am. Running this colony is important and a huge responsibility, so the royal family decided that I should see to it personally."
Umi nodded, starting to see the logic. "But what about Tarta?" she asked. "Isn't she here too?"
Tatra shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Only one person could be appointed. And I was chosen since I was older," she explained to Umi. "As you might guess though, my dear sister was more than a little upset," she added with a sly smirk.
"Yeah, I bet she was," replied Umi, smirking as well. She knew all too well that Tarta had a short temper like hers. She found herself wishing she could have seen Tarta's reaction when it was decided Tatra would rule the colony as governor.
"Anyway, there's business I have to attend to," said Tatra, turning back to Clef. "We had better get started."
"Ah, yes, of course," Clef responsed uneasily, still mortified that someone had walked in on him and Umi a second time. But now was not the time to dwell on that. Tatra left the waiting room, motioning for Clef to follow, which he did.
*Oh, what the hell? Might as well go in with them,* Umi thought as she followed Clef and Tatra.
**************
Umi continued to sulk in the incredibly comfortable chair she found in one of the many rooms of the castle of Cephiro. Ah man, did she ever need it. Clef was not kidding when he said she would probably find that meeting uninteresting. Political science wasn't exactly one of Umi's strong points in school; actually, it kind of bored her. So for her, that long meeting with Clef and Tatra wasn't really uninteresting - it was absolutely mind-numbing. She would never have guessed anything involving Tatra could be so dull. Thank God she had found this room with this chair; right now, all she wanted to sit here and let her brain recover from the atrophy. In fact, Umi was so out of it, she didn't even hear the soft, gentle footsteps that were gradually coming closer to her. She didn't even notice anyone was in the room with her until she heard someone speak.
"Hello, Umi-chan. Is anything the matter?" she heard a concerned voice ask.
Only one person could be that sweet and polite. It was none other than her dear friend Fuu. Umi lazily turned her head to face her. "Hey Fuu. How was your morning?"
"Oh, very enjoyable, thank you," she replied, as impossibly polite as ever. "But I'm curious as to where you were this morning. I didn't see you around anywhere, nor did anyone else."
"Ah," said Umi, only half-listening. "Well, I pretty much spent the whole morning with Clef."
"Really?" asked Fuu, as if some suspicion of her had just been confirmed. "Well, I see it's true then."
Now Umi was shocked out of her delirium. She turned and gazed at Fuu with a frustrated stare. "What does THAT mean?!" she demanded angrily.
"Well, that you and Clef-sama have gotten together, of course. I'm so happy for you Umi-chan," replied Fuu, again flashing that impossibly sweet smile.
Oh boy, NOW Umi was mad. Forgetting her mentally fatigued state, she stood up and glared at Fuu. "OK, now I'm REALLY pissed off! I swear, whatever Ferio told you...."
"Ferio?" asked Fuu, cutting Umi off. "Didn't hear a word from Ferio. I've known how you've felt about Clef-sama ever since we returned to Cephiro," she explained.
Umi blinked. Now her anger had given way to utter confusion. "You.... have?" she asked stupidly.
"Why yes I have, Umi-chan," said Fuu. "Whenever Clef-sama comes into a room, I notice that your breathing speeds up slightly, you ears turn red and get hot, and you cannot stop glancing at him. I have observed that Clef-sama has the same reaction whenever you enter a room as well."
Umi just continued to stare at Fuu, totally nonplussed. "It was.... THAT OBVIOUS?!!" Fuu simply smiled and nodded. Umi noisily slumped back down into her chair. She suddenly remembered how during their very first time in Cephiro, she had constantly ribbed Fuu for acting like a lovesick little puppy whenever Ferio was around. Seems that now the tables had turned. "But Fuu-chan... how come you never said anything about it to me?"
"I did not feel it was my place to intervene in this matter, and I always assumed that either you or Clef-sama would eventually make the right move," she answered. "It took a bit longer than I had expected, but what is important now is that the two of you are finally together. So, tell me, how exactly did it happen?"
Umi surrendered completely and told Fuu about the previous night and the morning's events in the colony. All the while, Fuu listened attentively as Umi told her tale. When Umi had finished, Fuu clasped her hands together happily and said, "Oh, that is incredibly romantic!" Umi just rolled her eyes. Sometimes Fuu could be a bit too much of a girlie-girl. "Umi-chan, do you have any plans about how to spend the rest of our visit?"
Umi was a bit stunned by the abruptness of this question. For someone who said she hadn't wanted to butt into this situation, she was certainly being nosy about it now. "Well, actually, I have no idea. I want to do something else with Clef though. We only have a couple more days here."
"Well then, I suggest you do something that will leave a big impact; something that will stay fresh in his mind until we come to Cephiro again," suggested Fuu.
Umi considered Fuu's advice. She really wasn't in the mood to think too hard right now, her brain still recovering from that ultra-boring meeting. Something that would leave an impact....
The light bulbs went off in Umi's head. Oh yeah, this would leave an impact, that's for sure....
**************
Umi patiently waited outside, at the very base of the castle of Cephiro. But Umi was not exactly well known for being the patient type. She began to pace around irritably. Damnit, when was he going to arrive?
That question was answered rather abruptly. "Umi, I'm here," she heard Clef say from behind her, startling her slightly. She turned around and smiled at him.
"Well, Clef, I'm glad you came. I've got an idea for something we can do together, but I need your power to do it," she told him.
Clef raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"Remember that other time I came to talk to you, and you magically conjured up that chair for me to sit in?" asked Umi. Clef just nodded. "Well, I know of a device from Earth that I'd like to show you. Is there any way I can.... I dunno.... link with you as you do that creation spell, so you can create this object I'm thinking of?"
Clef considered Umi's request for a minute, then said, "I suppose I could try," holding out his hand. Umi took it in hers, and she heard Clef say, "Now concentrate on what you want to create." Umi closed her eyes and did just that. Then she felt a tingling sensation all over her body, which made her shiver with delight. It was almost as if their auras were joining, melding together.
But just as quickly as it began, the sensation ended. Umi opened her eyes and looked to her right. It worked! To her right was exactly what she had wanted....
A motorcycle. And two helmets, each hanging on a handle. One for both of them.
"Uh, Umi, exactly what is that?" asked a confused Clef. "Is it some means of transportation?"
Umi smiled wickedly at him. "You'll see," she said as she picked him up. She seated herself on the motorcycle and placed Clef in front of her. She then reached for the helmets. One of them was smaller than the other, and even had a hole for Clef's horned headgear to stick through. Clef's spell had worked everything out prefectly. "Put this on," she told him as she put on her own helmet. "Oh, and you might want to do something about your staff," suggested Umi, and Clef took her advice, his staff dematerializing into thin air, to be recalled the next time he desired it.
"Now what?" asked Clef, still bewildered.
Umi didn't answer. Instead, she started up the motorcycle and peeled out. "Get ready for the ride of your life, my little man!" she yelled as they sped off.
"YAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" Clef screamed out of surprise and more-than-just-a-little fear. Umi just laughed teasingly as she rode across the rocky landscape, away from the castle. There were several hours of daylight left, and Umi was going to take advantage of them, giving Clef a ride he would never forget.....
THE END (for real this time)
**************
Author's Note: Yeah, I know I said previously that this was only gonna be a one-chapter story. But hey, I got so much positive feedback, and so many requests to write more, that I decided to give it one more go. Besides, I'm kinda stuck with my *OTHER* Rayearth story, Tragic Heroes, so I figured I'd take a break from that fic and do one more chapter for this story. And don't ask for a third chapter; this is the definitive end of this story. But I might write more fluffy MKR romance somewhere down the line, and hey, if ya want more Rayearth goodness from me, then maybe you should go check out Tragic Heroes. Yeah, shameless plug, I know....
So long,
Grey Fox