Gundam Wing is not mine. :-( Shut up! I can live in my own little world can't I?
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Shi-chan: Well! Now that everything's neatly going, I think I'll have some fun with this fic!
Thanks for reading minna!
Duo: Define 'fun.'
Shi-chan: What say we pull a familiar face back into the story, ne?
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Star Crossed, Forever Lost
~By Shimegami-chan
Part 5
Shounen ai! And something that looks suspiciously like Yuri, but is not!
Confused yet? Read on....
When Seki arrived back at the hospital, Mayumi was looking much better. The small cuts on her face had pretty much healed and when Shiseki walked in, Yumi was pacing near the window. When she spotted her visitor, however, she threw herself at Seki in an immense glomp. "Seki-chaaaan!"
"Oi, Mayumi!" Seki laughed after Yumi pulled away. "Feeling better?"
"Hell yes!" the American crowed. "I can't wait to get out of here!"
"When are they releasing you?" the Canadian woman asked.
Mayumi's face darkened. "They can't let me go until I have someplace to stay. I haven't recovered my memory yet."
A look of shock crossed Seki's pale features. "Not yet? Geez, you can stay with me if they'll let you out...I've got a two bedroom apartment and I live by myself..."
"Seriously? You're offering? No way!" Mayumi gave Seki another enthusuastic hug and thrills shot through the other woman.
"Sure, why not?" Seki tried to shrug off the feeling. "I'll check with your doctors, okay?"
"Yatta!" Mayumi bounced around the room before running out the door.
Seki couldn't explain it, but she felt so very drawn to the young American. What is it about you... she shook her head. I don't understand.
Shaking off her nagging thoughts and twisting feelings, Seki went to try and get Yumi out of that place as fast as possible.
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When Mayumi saw Seki's apartment, her face lit up. "Cool! I like it!"
The little abode was an utter wreck, but Seki didn't care. She held her 6-month-old puppy Aya-chan tightly under one arm and her travel bag in the other. "Just make yourself at home, okay?"
"Haiiiii!" Mayumi took some of the heap from Seki and piled it on a nearby table. "Thank you so much for letting me stay! I would have gone nutso in the hospital. Although I don't wanna impose and to tell you true I'd really really like to go home, if I couldn't just remember where home was..." the wistful, faraway look in Yumi's eyes made Seki a little sad to look at them. But the indigo orbs quickly replenished their sparkle. "So! I told you everything I know about me, Shiseki-chan, so why don't you tell me more about you?"
"Not much to tell," Seki pouted. "What do you want to know?"
"I don't know!" Mayumi answered. "I just figured I should know *something,* ne?"
"Well, in case you've forgotten what I told you before," Seki said with a grin, "my name is Shiseki Tezuka and I'm a journalist here. I'm Canadian and adpoted, I was born on L2. I like chocolate and pasta, and I'm a Taurus, and I play the flute."
Mayumi took a minute to absorb all the information. "Okay...good enough! All I know is that my name is Mayumi Maxwell and I'm also from L2."
"You told me on the shuttle that you were adopted, but your heritage is American. That's why your first name is Japanese."
"Oh, excellent! The more info the better!" Yumi, now sitting on the floor, began to play with Aya-chan. "I just know we're gonna get along great!"
Seki was having trouble tearing herself away from Mayumi's violet eyes--again. What's wrong with me?
"Haiii, absolutely great!"
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Living with Mayumi Maxwell was nothing short of 'lively,' Shiseki had discovered.
The two women had been back in the apartment for two weeks, and Yumi had settled right in as though she belonged there all along. Seki was glad for her companionship, but she felt there was something about Mayumi that was not quite right.
Yumi was, most of the time, very open and energetic. A lot of the time she was extremely cheerful--often to Seki's dismay--and between the two friends the apartment was never clean for more than a day at a time. Something about Mayumi bothered Seki quite a bit, although she didn't want to admit it--she knew Yumi was keeping an important secret from her, and she really thought she had Mayumi's complete trust. Seki reassured herself by telling herself that it was of a past Yumi didn't remember, couldn't remember, and thus couldn't tell Seki. It seemed Mayumi was afraid to be in front of her or anyone wearing less than long sleeves and baggy clothes. Again Seki was inclined to beleive that the American was scarred from some long-ago torture or self-inflicted wounds--although Seki didn't want to beleive that of her cheerful friend--or was just incredibly shy. Maybe Mayumi was under the impression that Seki was interested in her as more than a friend? The Canadian had to admit that her feelings for Yumi ran deeper than three short weeks should have rendered it, but she wasn't sure if she was attracted to the American or not. The odd sense of being drawn to her friend had continued for a while now. Seki had always been completely sure of her sexual tastes before, but now she was finding herself wanting to be close to her friend more and more, breathing in Yumi's unique scent, listening to that husky tenor voice laugh gaily at her own jokes. What was it about the woman that so much appealed to her?
Perhaps Yumi herself wasn't straight, and just didn't want Seki to know? Either way, that wasn't a good reason to keep to herself like she was. It wasn't that Seki wanted to give Mayumi a good look-over, but she was still worried when Yumi would lock the bathroom or bedroom door and not come out for hours at a time. Seki hoped that whatever was going on that Mayumi wouldn't say wouldn't have an effect on her health, she didn't want the American in any more pain than she was now. Yumi was breaking down more frequently despite having settled into the routine, and Seki knew the ordeal must be hard on her. As it was the Canadian had no nearby living family, but she imagined the pain her friend must being going through not being able to remember anything at all about her past.
Even now, Seki could hear choked sobs coming from Mayumi's room.
Wincing at the sound but knowing she could do nothing to assist--not with the door locked tight--Seki went to the living room and flopped down on the couch. She plugged in her laptop and checked for messages, but there were none: all her queries on Duo Maxwell and Heero Yuy had come up with nothing, or at least nothing she didn't already know. It was time to start actually doing some physical looking, as soon as Shiseki could get out of the house long enough to do so.
Quatre had told her that nightclubs were a good place to start, since Duo had enjoyed a drink with his friends every now and again, back in the old days. So Seki intended to go out and inquire--she didn't need to go back to work yet, she was a big girl that could take care of herself, and Quatre was providing financial support for getting information from people. Tomorrow, Seki was going nightclubbing, and nothing was going to stop her.
Disconnecting the small computer, the Canadian listened carefully for any movement from the small bedrooms--nothing. Mayumi had stopped crying or fallen asleep, much to her relief. She got up off the couch quietly and put the laptop away before heading to her own room to get dressed. Sliding on blue pajamas and tying her chestnut-colored hair back with a ribbon, Seki knocked lightly on Yumi's door. "Mayumi-chan?"
Nothing, save for the soft breathing from inside. Yumi was probably already asleep.
Seki tried the door, and it hinged open without protest. Odd, she always locks the door when she's sleeping. Was something wrong?
The Canadian slipped inside and waited for her eyes to adjust to the near-darkness. Mayumi lay asleep on her stomach on the bed, snoring lightly, quite topless and clutching the pillow possessively. Seki backed off. Oh, Gods...privacy invasion, gomen na sai, Mayumi-chan...
Yumi did not stir as Seki reached for the door handle again, and it was all the Canadian could do to to stand there and stare at the smooth curve of the American's back, the wavy chestnut hair falling limply to the side of her head. She moaned a bit and began to turn over.
Seki froze. Oh God must get out out out out out out...why am I still here, why am I still watching her?
You're curious, she told herself. You want to see if there's really anything wrong with her. Why she hides all the time.
No...I won't invade her privacy like this... Her hand found the doorknob just as Mayumi flopped onto her back, revealing a pale, perfectly sculpted chest.
So that's why...
There was definitely something very, very wrong. It was not scars, slashes, burn marks...nothing so expected...it was worse.
Why do I feel so relieved?
It was worse.
Mayumi was male.
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Shi-chan: A ha, ha ha ha HA! Speculations anyone?
Duo: O.O
Shi-chan: Anybody wanna venture a guess who Yumi is?
Duo: O.O
Shi-chan: .....
Duo: O.O
Heero: O.O
Shi-chan: Where'd you come from? -_-;;