Everlasting Bound

I'm leaving. I'll go live in Russia to continue my studies there. I doubt I'll return to Japan often… Maybe only on a very few occasions.

Those words had been enough to shock everyone. Nobody had spoken a word, as if they all had suddenly forgotten how to speak Japanese. None of them had the courage to express how dejected they were feeling. Eli was leaving, and they would probably never see her again. Ever since the third years had graduated, they had difficulty reuniting again, and when they all had finally decided to rejoin each other at a popular café, the sad news about Eli leaving had been enough to alter the feeling of happiness. A whimper escaped the dark-haired female as she rubbed her face in her pillow in frustration. It was troubling her. She felt a constant compressing pain in her chest, she had difficulty sleeping at night and it was all she was thinking about. Umi growled. She didn't know it would affect her that much. It wasn't only because it was specially the blonde who was leaving; it was mainly because it wouldn't be the same in the group without her. They indeed put an end to muse, but it certainly didn't mean they put an end to their friendship. She briefly talked about it with Honoka and Kotori, and they were both as sad as she was, but her ginger friend told her that there was nothing they could do, that they should let her pursue her dream job in Russia. Umi also agreed with what she said, but a part of her also wanted to be selfish and avoid her from leaving.

The dark-haired female jumped in surprise when she heard soft knocks on the door. She didn't expect any visit tonight. She got up and went to open it. She blinked at the unexpected visitor; it was Nozomi. She was flashing her a wide grin while holding a baby pink box in her hands.

"N-Nozomi? What are you doing here?"

"Your parents let me in." She spoke and curiously looked around. "May I come in? I bought some cakes, so we could eat them… I have something to talk to you about."

Umi frowned. It seemed rather serious. She nodded and let her in. "Please, sit down. I'll go prepare some tea."

The dark-haired female quickly left to go to the kitchen. It was the first time that she was completely alone with Nozomi. It was making her a bit anxious, especially since she knew well enough what would be the topic of the conversation: Eli. There was no doubt about it. But why did she need to talk to her exactly? It didn't make much sense to her, but she supposed she would know in a bit. She finished preparing the tea and carefully brought it to her room. When she entered inside, her eyes widened in shock, as her face grew a deep shade of red. Nozomi was looking at some of her personal… belongings.

"N-Nozomi! G-Give this back to me!" She exclaimed and tried to get back the object of her embarrassment.

"My, my, Umi-chan." The purple-haired female smirked playfully. "I didn't know you were that obsessed with Elicchi."

"N-No! It's a misunderstanding!" Umi exclaimed, completely alarmed. Nozomi was holding her Eli figure, the one where she was only wearing a bikini. Considering how popular Muse was, those kinds of merchandises weren't rare. "B-Besides, it's completely inappropriate to go through someone's belongings without their permission!"

Nozomi chuckled in amusement and carefully replaced the figure in the closet. "You don't need to hide it, you know? I also have that figure. In fact, I have a figure of everyone in Muse wearing a swimsuit. I absolutely love that collection~!"

"Eh!?" Umi's mouth was wide open from shock. How could she admit it so easily? More important, did she seriously owned them all? It was embarrassing enough to think that people had that figure of her in their home.

"Don't make that face, Umi-chan. I'm just kidding." The mature purple-haired girl stated as she sat down on the floor. She opened the box, revealing delicious-looking cakes. "Still, it's surprising that someone as innocent as you would own the most embarrassing figure of Elicchi. At the very least, I expected you to have more appropriate ones."

"E-Enough already…" Umi complained, sitting down at her opposite side. She served the tea, prudently avoiding Nozomi's amused gaze. When they were done settling the small snack, they both kept silent for a while, neither of them knowing where to start the conversation. That was until the younger of the two decided to break it:

"You wanted to talk about Eli, didn't you?"

Nozomi gave a weak nod. She blew at her tea to try to cold it a little bit, before taking a long sip of the comforting leaf-flavored liquid. "As you already know, Elicchi is leaving in a few days. She's quite determined and stubborn about going in Russia. I tried to stop her, but she refused to listen to me. She's trying not to show how much the situation about losing us all is affecting her, but honestly… she's as sad as we are." She murmured with a fragile smile.

"Why are you trying to stop her from leaving? If anything, you should let her go. It would be selfish to avoid her from going only because we are going to miss her." Umi accused with a frown.

"I don't want her to go." Nozomi replied back simply. The grip around her cup tightened, her knuckles even becoming a gentle white. She was obviously upset and it was at that moment that the dark-haired female noticed how little sleep the girl had gotten; she had noticeable dark circles under her eyes. "You're feeling the same way, aren't you? You don't want Elicchi to leave…"

Umi looked down at her strawberry shortcake. She couldn't deny it. She knew how Nozomi was close to the blonde, and understood how much the situation was saddening her, but there was something that she didn't like about the way she was talking. She pursed her lips strongly. "It is true. I'm feeling the same way, but…" She trailed off, closing her eyes for a few seconds to properly think about what to say. "I'm not going to stop her from leaving. I know it's what you're expecting of me. Since you couldn't do it by yourself, you want me to help, don't you? Well, you'll have to find another way. I do not even understand why you came to me for that. I believe that if there is only one person who can stop her from leaving, it is you. You're the one closest to Eli, after all."

The ex-third year heaved a long sigh and lowered head, avoiding Umi's serious gaze. There was a long pause.

"That's not true… That's not true at all. I think you're the one who can stop her."

The black-haired female raised an eyebrow. What did she mean by that? She definitely wasn't the one who could do something about the situation. Just when she was about to open her mouth to speak, she heard knocks on the door. Nozomi instantly stood up and went to open it.

"I'm sorry, I'm a bit late."

Umi rapidly froze at the voice. It was Eli. Why the heck did she invite her? The tall blonde looked around the room and her expression immediately showed confusion. "Huh? Where are the others? I thought you said everyone would be here."

"Did I? I just said that it would be nice if we could speak before you leave." Nozomi replied back, almost smirking mischievously. "Anyway, I'm sorry, but I have to go. Nicocchi will be mad if I make her wait. You two can finish the cakes, have fun!"

"Nozomi! Wait-"

But before Eli could speak her unhappiness about the situation, Nozomi disappeared, slamming the door behind her. With a mildly annoyed expression, the blonde sat down and served herself some tea, not saying anything. Umi tensed up. She knew perfectly well what was going on: their purple-haired friend planned it all; she told Eli that everyone would meet up at her house, but in reality, she had wanted the both of them to be alone. The younger of the two didn't know what made her the most uncomfortable: the awkward and long silence or the fact that Eli looked utterly pissed at the trick Nozomi played on them.

"Um…" Umi timidly tried to break the silence as she rapidly ate a piece of her cake out of nervousness. "If you want to leave, you can. There's nothing restraining you from leaving. Besides, Nozomi did this only to make fun of us."

"Do you want me to stay, Umi?"

Umi almost fidgeted at the unexpected question. She wasn't sure if she was asking if she wanted her to stay in Japan or if she wanted her to stay in her room for the night. She cleared her dry throat.

"I… I mean, it would be nice if we could talk a bit before your departure… We didn't really have the occasion to and…" She trailed off, not sure where to end her sentence.

Eli's lips swiftly parted into a warm and tender smile, which both startled and embarrassed Umi. She was pretty sure that smile of hers could melt anyone's heart, even the coldest ones. With trembling hands, the dark-haired girl grabbed her cup of tea. God, she felt so dense and edgy. It was rare for the two of them to be alone. They were usually always with the others. It wasn't like she didn't enjoy the other female's presence; it was more like she felt more aware around her.

"Am I the one making you that nervous? Your hands are shaking."

Umi's throat tightened. She had hoped she would be able to hide it. Kotori told her multiple times that she was bad at hiding her emotions. She didn't reply anything, knowing well enough that it was useless to deny it. She was definitely nervous around Eli. Whenever she was close to her, the beating of her heart increased in speed while her stomach churned in an unknown, yet thrilling feeling. She didn't know since when she had been feeling that way, but it was taking her off guard each time.

With a sigh, Eli stood up. She went to sit on Umi's bed and patted the spot besides her. "Come here. I'll show you something."

The dark-haired girl blinked. Though, she obeyed without any questions.

"Close your eyes and give me your hands."

"Huh? B-But…"

"Don't worry, I won't do anything weird. Just do as I say."

Umi nodded. She closed her eyes and hesitantly opened her hands to her. She tried not to wince when she felt something cold into her palm. She was tempted to cheat and take a look at what was going on, but decided that it would be best not to ruin whatever her friend was planning. Suddenly, she felt a warm breath tickling her ear, followed by a seductive voice, "You can open your eyes, Umi…" She whispered, breathing into her lobe, sending her unintentional electrifying shudders down her spine.

Umi's face flushed as she fell back, realizing how close Eli was. She could have almost felt her lips brush against her ear.

"G-Geez! What are you doing!?"

"Sorry, since you were so nervous, I only wanted to see your reaction and tease you." Eli chuckled and gave her a smile. "Look at your left hand, Umi."

The dark-haired girl, her face still as red as a lobster, stared at the object in her hand. She almost gasped. It was the necklace she so hesitated to buy some months ago while they all had been shopping together. She didn't buy it because of her lack of money. There was a navy blue arrow and the chain was silver.

"I actually bought it for your birthday, but it was several months ago… I guess I never had the chance to give it to you until now. I wanted to before I leave for Russia. I knew you wanted it back then. The smile on your face when you saw it was definitely worth the price."

Umi thought at that moment that if people could die of embarrassment, she would already be dead. However, she was filled with happiness by the gift.

"Thank you. I'll absolutely cherish it." The dark-haired girl murmured and decided to put it on right now.

"I'll help you." Eli suggested. She took the necklace, before wrapping her arms around Umi's neck, carefully attaching it for her. They were suddenly close to each other. Their bodies were only separated from a few centimeters and their cheeks were brushing against each other. They both found themselves restraining their breaths. Their closeness was almost intoxicating. Umi's nose was filled with Eli's sweet and exotic scent. It was enough to make her head spin a little bit. Her heart raced into her chest as soon as the blonde pulled away to stare deep into her amber eyes, their faces perilously close.

"I… I haven't been able to get you out of my mind ever since we…" Eli trailed off, her lips forming a tight line as her cheeks became a cute pale pink. Ever since we kissed. She couldn't say it, but she was pretty sure Umi got what she meant; she would have backed away if it wasn't for her arms that were still holding her close. It happened several months ago, after their last live. She wasn't sure what pushed them to do it; it just happened. She just remembered them having a small talk about the concert, before they closed the gap between you. It had lasted only a few seconds, but it had been enough to shock them. The kiss had been a new thrilling experience both of them never had before. It had been passionate, gentle, heartwarming and exciting at the same time… After that, they never talked about it. They only pretended it didn't happen, but it was only making them crazy. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It's making me insane, Umi… The little physical contacts I share with you are enough to make me crazy…"

Umi took a trembling breath. She was feeling the same way. She was about to lower her head out of embarrassment and shame, but Eli put a hand on her cheek and forced her to meet with her desperate deep blue eyes while caressing her skin with her thumb.

"Can I kiss you again? Just one more time. I won't ask for more. I know you're craving it as much as I do. You've been holding your breath ever since I got close to you…" The blonde muttered, pressing her forehead against hers, their lips even closer than before as her fingers ran in her black silky hair.

Umi gulped. She couldn't take it anymore. She also intensely desired that kiss. She gave a weak nod, closed her eyes and waited for Eli to do the first move. As soon as she gave her approval, the older of the two pressed her lips against hers. It was gentle at first. They only lingered their mouths on each other for a few seconds, before the blonde slid her hand on her back, grabbing her waist and pulling her closer, the distance between their bodies bothering her as well. She didn't anything to separate them. Each new kiss they were sharing were becoming more pressing, ardent and needy. Eli even came to part Umi's lips with her tongue; she could have little felt resistance at first, but she eventually let her. The dark-haired female was shuddering in her arms; she was certain that if she wouldn't be holding her as tightly, she would fall on her back. Their hearts were beating in rhythm, loudly and fast. The air around them almost felt suffocating. It was completely mind-altering.

Eli finally broke the kiss to catch her breath that became extremely ragged and heavy. "Umi…" She whispered huskily in her ear, her lips trailing down her jaw, kissing gently until she reached the corner of her mouth. "You're making me feel so many wonderful things right now, I don't even know how to express it with words… Would it be selfish if I ask for more? I know I only asked for one kiss, but I-" She was interrupted as Umi bluntly pressed her lips against hers once more, her lustful expression transforming into one of shock. However, when she met her amber eyes, she understood; the dark-haired female was desiring her as much as she did. Though, she soon avoided her gaze out of embarrassment. Eli smiled into the kiss and resumed their passionate moment.

A few seconds later, Umi was lying on her back, one of her hands gripping tightly into the blonde's blouse while her other was occupied with interlacing their fingers. Eli carefully kissed her neck and she could feel her fidget. She wasn't if it was because of nervousness or if she was simply writhing in need. She got her answer as soon as she started nibbling on sensitive skin; Umi noticeably tensed under her and she sworn that she heard a low gasp. She was definitely desiring her.

After a long moment of hesitation, Eli started unbuttoning her love's shirt, but Umi's firmly stopped her by grabbing her wrist. "P-Please, don't undress me…" She pleaded her, her embarrassment getting the better of her.

A little disappointed that they had to stop now, Eli heaved a soft sigh. It had to be expected. Though, she nodded softly and smiled at her. She was going to respect her decision, but it wasn't going to alter her hunger. However, as soon as she pulled away, Umi instantly pulled her close again, her eyes showing a mixture of selfish need and hesitation. Eli then understood.

"What is it, dear? I won't know until you tell me." She teased her, her fingers grazing her thighs ever so gently.

Umi growled in frustration, not pleased to be making fun of at such a moment. Though, she gave in, her face growing a deeper shade of red.

"Y-You don't need to undress me to… um…"

"To what?" A playful smirk danced on Eli's lips.

"Eli!" Umi shouted in anger, her eyes growling at her. "Y-You know perfectly well what I mean."

The blonde decided that she played enough with her. It hadn't been her intention to make her angry. It was already surprising that Umi was willing to make that big step. To apologize, she went straight to the goal; she unzipped her skirt to have better access and entered her hand inside her panties. Knowing that it would embarrass her too much to keep eye contact while she did it, she went to play with her neck; kissing ardently and sucking. One of her fingers gently started caressing her most intimate part, being extra careful with what she was doing. She was rubbing and moderately pressing against her sensitive bud. Being a female herself, she knew perfectly well how full of nerves that small piece of skin was, and she was correct; Umi was obviously tensing under her, her muscles suddenly rigid and responsive while her skin was growing hotter within seconds. She could also hear a series of low and sharp gasps. She continued to play with the bundle of nerves for a little bit, before her finger started caressing a lower part.

Going as gentle as possible, she pushed her digit inside her warm core. Umi inhaled deeper as her back arced at the unexpected entrance. She gripped into the blonde's shirt tighter, her eyelids and lips shuddering as she felt her thrusts. She soon relaxed as Eli held her closer with her free arm. She buried her face into the crook of her neck as an attempt to muffle the low moans that were coming out of her mouth. Their bodies were so close that she could feel the beating of the ex-third year's heart against her; it was beating as fast as a shooting star.

The blonde thrusted a second finger inside her while she tried to play with her delicate bud at the same time. She was trying to give her as much pleasure as possible. It was working; Umi was desperately moving her hips and her moans became much deeper and unrestrained. She was also breathing heavily. Suddenly, the dark-haired girl planted her nails into her skin and her muscles tensed abruptly. She let out a shuddering and long moan, her body convulsing. Eli stopped thrusting at that moment, knowing Umi just reached her climax. Her breathing was slowly calming down while she was still hiding her face into her shirt. The blonde smiled affectionately and rubbed her back, pressing her chin against the top of her head. She could easily guess that she was embarrassed.

"…Can you stay the night?" The younger of the two asked after a moment of silence.

"Of course. I was planning to anyway."

Eli went to lie besides her. She took a deep breath. Umi might have gotten relief from her recent orgasm, but she, on the other hand, wasn't completely. However, knowing how shy she could be, she wasn't going to ask her to do it for her. She wrapped her arms around the smaller female and let her rest on her chest. She closed her eyes.

"Hey, Eli…?"

"Mm?"

"Do you really have to leave?"

The blonde forgot how to breathe. She just remembered she would be leaving to go to Russia in three days. Her decision couldn't be changed. "Yes… Am I disappointing you?" Eli inquired, playing with her dark locks, staring right into her amber eyes.

"…A little bit. I mean we've just… done it and you're leaving me… That's not fair. You're giving me short-lived happiness…"

Eli's throat tightened. Umi's voice was cracking. She knew well enough that she just upset her. And not just her. Both of them. Maybe would have it been better if she had kept her distance tonight. The both of them had discovered something wonderful, something that maybe they would never ever felt for the rest of their life. "I'm sorry, Umi… I'm not going to change my decision, no matter what…" She muttered painfully.

Only the silence answered her, before Umi pulled away and turned her back to her.

"Let's sleep now. I'm tired."

Her words sounded cold and harsh. Eli sighed. She had probably done the biggest mistake of her life, but there was no turning back.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Today was the day Eli was leaving. They all agreed to tell her farewell at the airport. Umi had refused to at first, but she got dragged along with Honoka and Kotori. She knew that if she saw her leave, she wouldn't be able to control her emotions. Ever since what happened, the black-haired female didn't answer the blonde's numerous calls and blatantly ignored her yesterday when Muse rejoined each other at the Kousaka's patisserie. The other members probably noticed the heavy tension between them, but none of them decided to say anything about it. Yet, she was well aware that she was deeply hurting Eli by paying no attention to her. She didn't know what pushed her to be so selfish when the blonde had only wanted to spend as much time as possible with her before her departure.

Everyone were telling her goodbye, hugging her and crying while Umi stayed behind, staring at the floor. Their eyes would occasionally meet, before they would both pay attention to something else. It wasn't fair. She just discovered how much she loved Eli, and she had to go. If she would be at her place, she would cancel her plans, she would do everything to make their moment of happiness last longer… It was why she didn't understand.

Nozomi suddenly went besides her, a mixture of sadness and anger covering her face. "Remember what you told me…? You said it would be selfish to avoid her from leaving, but do you know how much you've hurt Elicchi those past few days? She cried every night, wishing that you'd answer her calls… She had something important to tell you, but you've decided to ignore her."

Umi pursed her lips strongly. It just felt like someone snatched her heart from her chest and squeezed it. She knew she hurt Eli, but to the point of making her cry? She had no idea. God, she felt terrible now. She met with the blonde's eyes. Everyone had finished telling her goodbye. There was only her left. Eli gave her a weak, agonizing smile, before turning her back to her.

Feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline, Umi quickly approached her and wrapped her arms around her, burying her face into her back. Eli wasn't the only one who was being unfair; she also was, and she just realized it. "I… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" She sobbed, clutching into her, refusing to let her go.

The blonde then took her wrist and pulled her to a more private place, where they wouldn't get bothered. Umi was expecting her to get at least a little bit mad at her, but she was surprisingly pulled into a tight hug as delicate fingers ran in her silky black hair. "Don't cry, Umi. It's fine. I understand why you were angry at me. I shouldn't have… approached you that night. It's my mistake." She spoke above a whisper, her voice shaky. It was as if she was restraining herself not to start crying too.

"Don't say what happened between us was a mistake. I'm not regretting anything, but I wish we would have had more time to share those kinds of moments together…"

"I… I know…"

They stared at each other for a long time. Eli smiled and wiped away her love's tears with her thumb.

"But it's definitely not a farewell. I'll come back, as long as you promise me that you'll wait for me. I'll also give you calls and send you letters; we certainly won't be cutting contact."

Umi felt a bit relieved to hear those words, but it didn't stop the feeling of emptiness. How many months would she have to wait? How many years? An announcement about Eli's plane departing soon was suddenly heard. It was time to leave. The blonde took a deep breath. "Well then, let's-" She trailed off when the younger of the two closed her eyes and stood on her toes, obviously wanting a kiss. Eli shook her head and pressed a finger against her lips.

"Let's not kiss now. Give me something to look forward to when I come back. Maybe then, it'll make me want to go to Japan as soon as possible." The blonde winked at her as a gentle blush formed on Umi's cheeks. Eli bent down to press her lips against her cheek still.

"I have to go now… See you, Umi."

"Yes… Don't forget to give me a call when you'll be there."

"Definitely."

They stared into each other's eyes endlessly as if trying to keep one last image of the other, before Eli turned her back and disappeared. A single tear rolled down Umi's cheek.

They would definitely see each other again and she would wait for her, as long as she had to.

A/N: I'll probably make this a two-chapters fic. Probably something about Eli and Umi meeting up after some years passed.

Review, please?