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Chapter Text

It was another peaceful morning for Lily and Gumi as they finished getting dressed. They had to take Ryuto to school and go to work immediately afterwards, but for now, they preferred to just admire each others' outfits in the mirror.

"Yo, Goom," Lily said, pulling her phone out of her pocket, "y'know what this calls for? A selfie!"

Gumi scratched the back of her neck nervously. "Are you sure? I don't like how the camera makes me look..."

Lily slung an arm around her girlfriend and gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head. "Don't worry, babe. Cameras are stupid. Besides, don't I tell you every day that you're gorgeous?"

Gumi blushed and tried to hide the smile that was starting to spread across her face. "Uh-huh..."

Lily gave her a light squeeze. "Then don't worry about how the silly ol' camera makes ya look! Just smile and close your eyes!"

Gumi looked confused. "Close my eyes? Why?"

Lily smirked and leaned in closer. "For this." Then, she pressed her lips against Gumi's, simultaneously pressing the button on her phone to snap a picture. Gumi, while taken aback, happily reciprocated the kiss and closed her eyes as directed.

"There! See?" Lily said as they broke apart. "You look amazing in this!" She held up her phone for Gumi to see.

Gumi let out a soft chuckle upon looking at the picture. She had to admit, Lily was right; they both looked pretty great from the angle at which the selfie had been taken.

"I guess you're right," she admitted, leaning in for another quick kiss. "Thanks."

"You don't have to thank me for kissing you, y'know."

Gumi stuck out her tongue. "Oh, hush. I'll do what I want." She went over to their bedroom door. "Now, come on. We have to take my brother to school."

Lily nodded and followed her out of the room, but not before glancing fondly at the picture on her phone.

Chapter Text

Gumi liked the rain. It meant a chance for her and Lily to snuggle up inside, a chance for them to goof off and watch SpongeBob reruns and play games together.

...That is, unless there was a power outage.

"Well, this is just fuckin' fantastic," Lily groaned, "now how the fuck are we supposed to do jack shit? We can barely see anything!"

Gumi sighed and linked arms with her girlfriend. She hated power outages. There was something deeply unsettling to her about the entire house being completely dark. What if some crazy stranger was hiding under the cover of darkness, waiting to hurt them the second they were vulnerable? She knew it was impossible, but the thought made her shudder nonetheless.

Lily noticed her distress and pulled her closer. "Hey, don't worry, babe. I'll protect you. It's just some darkness. The power will come back on eventually."

"I know," Gumi murmured, "I just don't like it when everything is dark like this. It messes with my anxiety, y'know?"

Lily paused, seemingly lost in thought. Before she could say anything, Ryuto ran into the room, trembling ever so slightly.

"Guys, the power is out!"

"We know, Ryu," Lily said, stooping down to ruffle his hair, "but right now it looks like your sister's a little scared of the dark. Wanna help her out?"

Ryuto looked up at Gumi and nodded eagerly. "We can have a sleepover!"

Lily smiled. "I like that. What do you think, babe?"

Gumi couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face. "I...I'd like that, too." Her smile faltered. "But I don't know how I'd get any sleep when the whole house is like this."

"Hey, no problem! Just listen to the rain. That always helps me when I can't sleep." Lily advised. "Now, c'mon, let's go get some rest."

The three of them went to Lily and Gumi's bedroom, and before long they were all sprawled out under the sheets, Gumi in the middle. She felt Lily wrap her arms around her on one side, while Ryuto snuggled close to her on the other. It felt...cozy, she decided. More cozy than she had been in a long time.

So, she let the sound of the rain lull her to sleep, but not before leaning in to whisper to Lily, "Thank you."

Lily gave her a quick kiss. "No prob. Love ya, babe."

Chapter Text

Gumi was typically an early riser, but today she made an exception. It was her day off, after all, and she chose to savor every minute of it. It helped that everyone else in the house was also off, particularly Lily.

Gumi snuggled up to her girlfriend, peppering lazy kisses upon her neck and cheeks and lips. Lily didn't mind this - in fact, though she was trying to hide it, she was smiling despite her closed eyes.

"Mmm, babe," she hummed at last, stretching, "what's got you so worked up this morning, huh?"

"We don't have work today," Gumi murmured, "and it's been a while since the last time we snuggled like this. I just wanna relax today, y'know?"

Lily yawned and wrapped an arm around her. "Sounds good to me," she said, gently pulling her face closer. "Besides, I think I owe you a couple smooches, since you can't keep your lips off me."

Gumi blushed and giggled. "Oh, nooo, I've been caught by the evil Dr. Kisses! Whatever shall I dooo?"

Lily laughed and pressed kiss after kiss on Gumi's lips. "You're such a dork, babe."

Chapter Text

Gumi and Lily had been dating for a week now, and Gumi was afraid.

She wasn't afraid of Lily. No, no, no, Lily was perfect. She was the best girlfriend Gumi could ever ask for. What really worried Gumi was the fact that Lily was, well, her first girlfriend.

Gumi had known that she was gay for a long, long time, but had always tried to deny it by dating guys. Lily, on the other hand, was very open about her sexuality, so she had more experience when it came to dating other girls. Gumi felt selfish for thinking such things, but she couldn't help but wonder if she was disappointing in comparison to Lily's previous girlfriends. It was a wonder, she thought solemnly, that Lily hadn't broken up with her by now.

"What's wrong, babe?" Lily asked her (god, it would take a while for Gumi to stop getting flustered every time she called her "babe").

Gumi looked down at their hands, which were grasped tightly together. She loosened her grip, ashamed; she hadn't meant to convey her nervousness in such a way. More proof that I'm a bad girlfriend.

"I'm just...nervous, I guess," she murmured, "about us. N-not you! You're wonderful!! I'm just not sure about myself."

Lily cooed sympathetically and planted a kiss on top of Gumi's head. "Aw, don't be silly, darlin'. Why would ya think somethin' like that?"

"Because I'm not as good at dating girls as you are. I've...I've only dated guys, and that was different. I didn't love them." Gumi felt her hand clench Lily's again, despite her attempts to restrain herself. "And...and you're so experienced at this sort of thing, and I'm worried that I might mess it up because you're my first girlfriend and I don't want to dis-"

"Hey, hey," Lily said, gently cupping Gumi's face in her free hand. "It's alright, sweetheart. Just stop for a sec, will ya?"

Lily's tone was warm, so Gumi trusted her. She stopped talking and looked her in the eyes, feeling her face heat up.

"I wouldn't be datin' ya if I didn't want to, dollface. So what if I'm your first? I'm fuckin' proud to be your first." She beamed, and in that moment, Gumi saw the genuine affection in her eyes. "I love you. I have for a long time, and I know you have, too. So don't worry about messin' up, 'cause I'll be here for ya if you do. Trust me on this one."

Gumi couldn't stop herself from smiling as she listened to her girlfriend's words. Somehow, just hearing them was enough to reassure her that everything was going to be alright. Her anxiety was still present, but with Lily around, it bent just enough to allow her a glimmer of hope. She had never felt this with any of the boys she was with. This was something entirely new, and she liked it.

"Thank you," she mumbled, burying her face into Lily's shoulder, "I love you."

Lily pulled her head up to give her a kiss on the lips. "I love you too."

Chapter Text

Lily's sadness was always mixed with anger. It was rare for her to be overcome with despair alone without some other emotion underlying it. Gumi couldn't blame her; being sad must have been a frustrating experience for someone who tried not to show weakness.

"I can't fuckin' stand it," Lily sobbed, "I hate 'em, I hate 'em all, I wish they were all dead! I hate 'em, I hate 'em!"

"They" were usually the ones responsible for Lily's anger in the first place. Gumi had been fortunate enough to never meet one of them aside from seeing them on the street every now and then. She could tell who they were because Lily would always pull her closer, a protective glare in her eyes as she forced herself to look at the ground.

Gumi gently wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, rubbing her back and arms in an attempt to soothe her. "I know, I know. But soon we'll be able to move out, and then we won't ever have to see them again."

"That doesn't matter," Lily grumbled, not even bothering to wipe away the tears that were dripping down her face. "There'll be more of 'em. There's always people like that no matter where ya go. They just love pickin' on dykes like me."

Gumi couldn't argue with that. It was always an underlying fear that she had every time they went out in public together. She knew that people would be giving them dirty looks, muttering insults, and occasionally shouting threats in their direction. That was a fact of life. But...

"We...we have each other," Gumi mumbled, "and we can defend ourselves if need be, as long as we're together. They can't separate us." She leaned in closer to Lily's face, brushing away her tears. "And they can't stop us from loving each other." She punctuated her sentence with a kiss, long and slow and sweet. Lily reciprocated, closing her eyes and holding the sides of Gumi's head to steady herself.

When they broke apart, Lily sniffled and smiled ever so slightly. "I guess you're right...I can always beat 'em up." she said with a laugh.

Gumi giggled. "That's not what I meant!"

Lily shrugged. "Eh, whatever. I..." She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I'm sorry for gettin' all upset like this. I love you, babe."

Gumi kissed her on the cheek. "I love you, too. And don't worry about it. That's what girlfriends are for."

"For gettin' upset over?"

Gumi rolled her eyes. "No, for emotional support!"

Lily laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just teasin'." She leaned in until her mouth was right next to Gumi's ear and whispered, "And you're really fun to tease."

Gumi blushed, covering her face with her hands. "LILY!"

"Heh, sounds like how you reacted last ni-" Lily was interrupted by a frustrated Gumi burying her face into her neck with a flustered groan.

"Oh my god, you're such a clown," Gumi muttered.

"But I'm your clown!" Lily declared triumphantly.

Chapter Text

The stars always seemed to shine brighter whenever they were together. It was an incredible experience, just being able to lie down together and gaze up at the night sky. It felt as if the galaxy was putting on a spectacular light show just for them.

"I've been reading up on constellations," Gumi said one night, snuggling deeper into Lily's arms. "I'm trying to see how many I can spot."

Lily hummed and followed her gaze all the way up to the glittering stars. "Really? I always have trouble seein' shapes in the stars. Which ones can you see?"

"Hm..." Gumi focused on the display above them, trying to remember what she had learned. "I think I can see the Lynx...oh, and Cancer! That's my star sign, I think."

"Can you see Virgo? That's mine."

"Um..." Gumi squinted, staring off into the horizon. "I think I can see part of it? It's really far away...sorry..."

Lily laughed and gave her girlfriend a kiss. "Oh, don't be sorry, honey. I have no idea what any of these fuckin' shapes mean. I think it's cool that you know some of 'em."

Gumi brightened. "Th-thanks! I don't know a whole lot about astronomy aside from what I found on Google, though."

Lily waved a hand dismissively. "So? You're still able to make out what these stars are supposed to represent." She stretched, wrapping her arms even tighter around Gumi. "Me, I like to make up my own constellations."

Gumi turned to her, interest piqued. "Ooh, really? Like what?"

Lily smiled and pointed at a random cluster of stars. "Well, that one's a bee, obviously."

Gumi rolled her eyes playfully. "Of course."

"And that one..." Lily winked in Gumi's direction. "That's us, babe."

Gumi's cheeks turned a bright red, noticeable in the glimmering starlight. "Wh-what? How?"

"Just look at 'em. Use your imagination. I'm thinkin' those are supposed to be the arms, and then there's our heads, and we're hugging or somethin'." Lily pointed to each star as she described them, and Gumi's eyes widened as she started to see the resemblance. She didn't recall anything about a constellation like this, but...

"I love it," she murmured, giving Lily a kiss on the cheek. "What are we going to call it?"

"Um...Honeycarrot?" Lily suggested. "I dunno. I just think it's fitting somehow."

Gumi laughed. "Honeycarrot it is. That's our new constellation."

"Oh, good! To be honest, I was just pullin' everything outta my ass, but I'm glad you liked it, babe." Lily kissed Gumi's forehead, all while gazing up at their new constellation. "I hope other people can see it too, so they all know how gay we are."

Gumi chuckled and buried her face in Lily's neck. "Don't worry. What matters is that we can see it, and it's ours."

From that moment on, Honeycarrot became their favorite constellation.

Chapter Text

Gumi actually didn't mind parties. She had never been to many, but as long as there was at least one person she knew, she could handle them just fine. Sure, the loud noises and large amount of unfamiliar people was scary to her, but she felt safe whenever she was with one of her friends - or, in this case, her girlfriend.

But this party was different. Gumi found herself clenching Lily's hand way tighter than she thought possible as she felt the familiar scent of alcohol drift toward her. Lily noticed her grip and pale expression almost immediately.

"What's wrong, darlin'?" she asked in a hushed voice. "You look like you've just seen a fuckin' ghost or some shit." Just because she was tender didn't mean she was eloquent.

Gumi fidgeted uncomfortably. "I...the smell, it...brings back bad memories." She looked around at all of the clearly intoxicated partygoers, her heart rate picking up. "I...I can't be here. Not when people are..." She swallowed hard. It occurred to her just how many people she didn't recognize, and how easy it would be for them to hurt her. She knew she was being unreasonable, but...

"Hey, hey, no prob," Lily said reassuringly, "we'll go out to the car, okay? If you want, we can leave. How's that sound?"

Gumi nodded quickly, and the two of them hastened to return back to the car before anyone saw them. Thankfully, they went unnoticed.

"Now," Lily began, sitting down in the passenger's seat, "mind tellin' me what's up? If you're okay with it, that is." She ran her fingers up and down Gumi's hand in a soothing motion.

"I...well, you know how my...my parents were," Gumi explained, "I know nobody's going to hurt me, but I guess I just always associate drunk people with...being hurt."

Lily's face darkened. She pulled Gumi in for a tight embrace and began stroking her hair. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry. I shoulda known better than to bring ya someplace like this."

Gumi relaxed into her girlfriend's arms. "Don't worry, it's not your fault. I don't go to a lot of parties, but the ones I have been to were all hosted by Miku, and those had no alcohol, so I guess I figured I wouldn't have to worry about this one."

"Yeah, but I still shoulda said somethin' to Yuuma beforehand." Lily sighed and shook her head, simultaneously burying it into her girlfriend's neck. "Next time, I'll tell him not to bring out any alcohol if you wanna come along with me to another one of his gigs."

"I don't know. I don't want to ruin the fun for anyone who actually enjoys that sort of thing."

"Are you kiddin'? Nobody goes to Yuuma's parties for the alcohol. They go because his mixtape is fuckin' fire." Lily laughed and gave Gumi a kiss on the cheek. "Now, c'mon, let's go home. Or out for ice cream. We were promised that at the party, y'know."

Gumi smiled and buckled her seatbelt before starting the car. "I guess you're right. Ice cream it is, then?"

"Ice cream it is. Love ya, babe."

Gumi blushed as she backed out of their parking space, though it was barely visible in the dark. "I love you too," she said as she drove away.

Chapter Text

It didn't take long for them to get used to living with one another. After they moved in to their new house, things just naturally fell into place, as if they had been living together their entire lives. Even Ryuto was able to adjust to the change - in fact, he seemed to prefer having more company in the house compared to living with just his sister.

Perhaps the best part of it all was being able to sleep in the same bed every night. Gumi and Lily would fall asleep in each other's arms and wake up even closer than they had been the night before, even more unwilling to get up. It was heaven, being able to live in such comfort and security all the time with no strings attached.

Gumi found herself becoming more and more cheerful as the days went by. She was always the first one to wake up, which meant that she was always preparing breakfast by the time Lily and Ryuto woke up. She greeted her little brother with a kiss on the forehead and her girlfriend with a kiss on the lips, and they all sat down to enjoy their food and a nice conversation about what dreams they had and what they were going to do today. Gumi couldn't remember the last time she had been so happy to be alive.

For Lily, the best part was the sheer stability of it all. It had been difficult to earn enough money to buy their own house at first, but once they had settled in, she found it to be surprisingly comfortable and secure. She woke up every day with a new sense of purpose that was fueled every time she looked into Gumi's eyes. She had always been determined to protect her, but now that they were living in the same house every day, Lily became even more dedicated to making sure that she was happy and safe.

They came home from work each day and picked up Ryuto from school, and then they had the rest of the day to themselves. Sometimes, they would go out to eat somewhere. Other times, they would simply lie on the living room couch and watch a movie or play a game together. And occasionally, when Ryuto was over at a friend's house, they would do...ahem...other things.

And then, once the whole day was over, they'd fall asleep wrapped in an embrace once more, and the whole cycle would repeat anew. It never ceased to be amazing to them, the fact that they were allowed to live such a happy and peaceful life, away from all that had bothered them in the past. They were free, free to share their happiness with the world around them, free to live side by side.

But most importantly, they thought every time they held each other close, they were free to love one another.

Chapter Text

"Hey, did you know a bee can lift an entire carrot?"

Gumi looked up from her phone, confused. "What? No way. That's physically impossible."

Lily smirked. "Nah, it's true. Wanna see?"

"I swear," Gumi sighed, "if this is some obviously fake YouTube video, you need to - WHOA!" She shrieked in surprise when Lily scooped her up bridal style, holding her tightly.

"See?" she laughed. "Told ya it was possible."

Gumi said nothing, her face now a bright red. She looked down at Lily's strong, toned arms, swallowing thickly. "I...um...I, uh, well..."

Lily's grin widened. "What? Impressed by my strength?"

Gumi nodded, burying her face in her hands. However, she pulled them away once Lily pulled her closer to her face.

"Well, a hero's gotta be powerful enough to save her princess, doesn't she?" Lily whispered, her voice low and smooth. Gumi let out a cute little squeak, prompting Lily to plant a soft kiss on her lips. When they pulled apart, Gumi was somehow even more flustered than she had been earlier.

"I...c-can you..." she stammered, fiddling with her own hands, "can you keep...holding me like this, please? I...I like it...a lot..."

Lily winked. "Of course, sweetie. Anythin' for you."

Gumi snuggled into her embrace, her eyes closing. She felt safe and secure in Lily's arms, enough to lean up and give her a kiss on the cheek.

"My hero."

Chapter Text

It hurts, coming home from school every day.

Gumi comes home from yet another day of insults and isolation to an even more isolated house, in the middle of an isolated neighborhood where nobody knows her name, even though she's been living there her entire life. She comes home and resists the urge to add to the scars on her wrists because she knows her brother is home, and it's unfair to subject him to this, because he's just a kid and he doesn't know any better. Of course, sometimes she gives in to the burning pressure anyway and hides away in her room, careful not to get any blood on her bedsheets because she's gotten so experienced at avoiding it.

It hurts, but she's used to it.

What she's not used to is Lily.

Lily comes into her life and suddenly things don't hurt as much anymore. When they're at school, Lily protects her from the bullies and sits with her at lunch so she doesn't get lonely. Sometimes, she walks home with her, partially to protect her and partially because - and this part really throws Gumi for a loop - she genuinely enjoys her company. Gumi can't fathom why a girl as lovely and perfect as Lily would enjoy hanging out with her, but she doesn't dare question it for fear of getting her to stop.

But Lily never gives any indication that she wants to stop. She likes going to Gumi's house, even if her parents are never there and they're kind of short on food. She likes eating lunch with her and talking to her and being her friend. And when they start dating, the hurt is the furthest thing from Gumi's mind.

It hurts, going to school every day.

Lily leaves the safety of her home and enters a world where people shout threats at her, call her names, and throw things at her. She's not the best at handling these people, as she was willing to bet that she could count the number of detentions she's gotten on more than one hand. Everything is always her fault, because nobody cares about what the dyke has to say. All everybody cares about is wanting her dead, because how DARE she look at girls that way, how DARE she dress the way she does, how DARE she stand up for herself, how DARE she?

It hurts, but she's used to it.

What she's not used to is Gumi.

She looks at Gumi and she sees someone who understands the hurt because she's been hurt, too. Lily doesn't know how or why or who she should beat up because of it, but it gives her the determination to protect her. She notices the little things, like the scars on Gumi's wrists that she tries to hide or the way she gets embarrassed about the state her house is in. She notices and she becomes even more motivated to make her happy, because goddammit, the world was unfair and there were some people who didn't deserve to hurt, and Gumi is one of them.

Making Gumi happy makes her happy, too, and for some reason that makes her own hurt go away. Suddenly, every day has purpose, and that purpose is Gumi's smile, Gumi's laughter, Gumi's safety. And when they start dating, the hurt is the furthest thing from Lily's mind.

Chapter Text

The first time she discovered Gumi's scars was through a passing glance.

Gumi tried her best to cover them up whenever she was in school, and she succeeded for the most part. But Lily, being the hopeless lesbian that she was, always found herself staring at her anyway, and that was how she happened to see her scars. It was a brief, accidental look; Gumi had turned to sift through her backpack, and one of her sleeves had rolled up. Lily's eyes widened when she saw the cuts. Some of them looked older, while some looked fresh, almost as if she had made them the night before.

Thankfully, Gumi didn't see her staring. She just noticed that her sleeve had come up and hastily pulled it down before turning back to her desk. She must have thought that no one had seen her, since it was a pretty brief moment and no one really paid attention to her anyway. That made Lily kind of sad for some reason, but she didn't know why.

It wasn't until they officially met a few months later that Gumi's scars became more noticeable, mostly because Lily was hanging around her all the time at this point. Gumi was very careful, always wearing long sleeves, even during the warmer weather. But Lily saw.

She never asked about them. She didn't want to come off as rude or invasive or anything. But she still worried about those scars, worried about what was happening to her that drove her to create them in the first place.

As they got closer and closer, Gumi became a bit less shy about concealing them, but she never brought them up. She still refused to wear short sleeves, but stopped worrying so much whenever Lily caught a glimpse of her wrists. Was it because she trusted her? Lily hoped that was the case.

Finally, one hot summer day about six months after they had become friends, Gumi dared to wear a T-shirt one afternoon while they were hanging out at her house. She seemed uncomfortable about it, and Lily, not being able to stand seeing her so upset, finally asked what was wrong.

"It's just..." Gumi hesitated. "I'm not used to showing my scars like this." She twiddled with her fingers anxiously, a habit of hers whenever she got nervous. "I know you won't judge me for them, but...I've gotten so used to covering them up that showing them just feels wrong."

Lily took her hands gently, prompting Gumi to look into her eyes. Lily hoped she wasn't blushing when she said, "Hey, listen. There ain't nothin' to be ashamed of when you're with me, got it? I actually think it's pretty brave of you to be willin' to do this."

Gumi tilted her head. "Brave?"

"Well, yeah. This is the first time I've ever seen ya wear short sleeves. Obviously, there's a reason why you're doin' it now, and that reason is bravery." Lily smiled, giving Gumi's hands a light squeeze. "You don't gotta tell me what's goin' on. I don't expect you to. I just wanna reassure you that you don't gotta be afraid."

Gumi blinked, and Lily could have sworn she saw tears in her eyes before she reached forward and wrapped her in a hug. Lily, caught off-guard by the sudden act, was quick to reciprocate.

"Thank you," Gumi whispered, "I'm sorry for getting so nervous."

"Don't be," Lily replied, "I'm proud of you, Goom."

To Lily's surprise, this prompted what sounded like a sob from Gumi's end, though she didn't feel any tears soaking her shirt. Lily just hugged her tighter, patting her head.

When they pulled away, Gumi looked a little misty-eyed, but she hadn't been crying. Instead, she was smiling wider than Lily had ever seen her smile before. Something about the way she was smiling seemed different. This one looked more genuine, as if she had finally stopped putting on an act.

And from that moment on, Lily decided, she would protect that smile, no matter what.

Chapter Text

Though she would never admit it, Gumi loved being shoved against the wall.

Lily had grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her, looking down at her with a hungry, seductive gaze. "Gumi..." she whispered, low and sensual. Gumi's face was a bright red, her legs going wobbly as she looked Lily in the eyes.

"Y-yes?" she asked, her voice hoarse. Lily smirked and leaned in until their lips were just barely touching, teasing her, flicking her tongue out for a playful lick instead of kissing.

"Gumi..." she said again, her mouth moving down. Gumi bit back a moan as she felt those lips press deep into her neck and collarbone.

"Lily..." she murmured, "please, please, tell me what you want me to do..."

Lily grinned and rose until she was at eye level with Gumi. Then, her voice taking on a more casual tone, she asked, "Can I borrow, like, 542 yen?"

Gumi paused, obviously trying to process what had just happened. Then, her blush somehow turning a deeper shade of crimson, she cried, "WHAT?!"

Lily shrugged. "I owe Yuuma some money for helpin' me with somethin' today, but I don't have any cash on me right now. I can pay you back when I get my paycheck, though, so-"

Gumi was still spluttering in an attempt to collect her thoughts. "W-why didn't you just ask me like a normal person?! What's with all this?!" She gestured to Lily, who was still restraining her against the wall.

"Oh, I thought it would be funny." Lily smiled. "Also, you're cute when you're flustered."

Gumi continued to utter inarticulate words, too confused to speak coherently. However, even as she raved, she was reaching into the pocket of her skirt for her wallet and pulling out the coins to hand to Lily.

"Awesome! Thanks, babe!" Lily gave Gumi a kiss on the cheek and practically skipped out the door with a cry of, "Got it, Yuu! Sorry for the wait!"

When she was gone, Gumi had slumped down to her knees, still babbling to herself. She had never in her life been more bewildered and turned on at the same time.

Chapter Text

Though Lily had never told anyone about it, she had a secret love for gardening.

She had a garden that she would tend to in her backyard nearly every day, partially because she genuinely enjoyed working with flowers and partially because it got more bees to gather around her house. Lily fucking loved bees.

But, of course, she couldn't tell anyone that she liked flowers. She was supposed to be intimidating, and what kind of intimidating bully liked flowers? No, she had a reputation to maintain, and that meant keeping her love for botany a secret.

But...ever since she met Gumi, she had found herself growing softer. Lily had dated quite a few girls in the past, but with them, she always felt pressured to keep maintaining her cool, "tough girl" image. With Gumi, she didn't feel any of that pressure. She felt like she could really be herself, like she was allowed to show weakness and be soft and indulge in her more embarrassing interests.

So that was why she was waiting outside Gumi's door, holding flowers behind her back and digging her foot sheepishly into the ground. She had never done this sort of thing before - romantic gestures weren't really her thing - so she hoped Gumi wouldn't think she was weird for just showing up at her house to give her flowers. Girls liked that romantic shit, didn't they? Lily assumed so, based on how many movies had been made about it.

"Coming!" Gumi called from inside, and Lily could hear her footsteps briskly approaching the door. When she opened it, her face lit up, and Lily couldn't help but admire how lovely she looked when she smiled. "Lily! You didn't tell me you were coming over today! Ah, I'm sorry, I must have missed your text-"

"No, no," Lily reassured, "I didn't text you or anything. I just kinda decided to drop in, and, well..." She shuffled her feet, slowly pulling the flowers out from behind her back and presenting them. "I, uh, thought you might like these."

Gumi gasped, a cute little gasp that prompted Lily to smile, and immediately took the flowers to examine them. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed. "I...thank you so much!! I've never gotten flowers before!" She was looking them over from every angle, as if she couldn't believe that someone had taken the time out of their day to give her a gift. Lily could tell it had been a long time since she had received any sort of present, judging by the look of joyous disbelief on her face. "Did you buy them?"

Lily scratched the back of her head. "Nah, I...grew 'em." She turned away in an attempt to hide her blushing face. "I, uh, actually really like gardening."

Gumi didn't react with surprise or shock like Lily had expected her to. Instead, she stood on her toes and gave Lily a sweet kiss on the lips, smiling lovingly against her. Lily, while initially caught off-guard, was quick to reciprocate.

When they broke apart, Gumi had tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she said, "thank you so much. I love you."

Lily felt her own heart swell with love in response. "I love you, too, babe," she replied, "but promise ya won't tell anyone I'm into gardening, will ya? I don't want anyone thinkin' I've gone soft."

Gumi laughed and gave Lily another kiss, this time on the cheek, before taking her hand and leading her inside. "Your secret is safe with me."

Chapter Text

"I WILL FUCKING DESTROY YOUR BLOODLINE!" Gumi screamed as she mashed the buttons on her Nintendo Switch. "YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

Lily and Maika were laughing so hard they were practically crying. Flower, on the other hand, kept a straight face as she made Ridley slash the shit out of Sheik.

"Why are you targeting ME?!" Gumi demanded, trying her best to fight back. "There are TWO OTHER PLAYERS that you could be destroying!"

"Wow, traitor," Lily remarked, sticking her tongue out.

Flower ignored Lily and addressed Gumi without even looking away from the screen. "Because you're the best player. Therefore, I need to eliminate you first."

"Hey!" Maika cried in feigned offense. "I'll have you know I'm one of the best Isabelle players in our friend group!"

"That's 'cause you're the only Isabelle player in our friend group, sweetie."

"My point still stands!"

Lily nudged Maika. "Hey, be grateful that monster isn't goin' after you instead."

"WHY AREN'T YOU TWO HELPING?!" interjected Gumi. "SHE'S KICKING MY ASS!!!"

Lily shrugged. "It's kinda funny seein' you get destroyed after all the times you've beaten us before."

Gumi seethed with rage as Sheik flew off the stage, removing her permanently from the rest of the round. "I fucking hate you. I'm going to tear my own fucking Switch out of the goddamn wall."

Lily laughed and gave Gumi a kiss on the cheek. "If it makes you feel any better, now that you're out, Flower can kick the shit out of us now."

"Actually, I'm just gonna kick the shit out of you," Flower said, pointing at Lily. "I always let Maika win during Smash."

Lily gasped and turned to Gumi, horrified. "Did you hear that?? She's actually nice to her girlfriend when they play video games!! Holy shit!"

Gumi grumbled something irritably, still glaring in Flower's direction. Maika giggled. "You guys are weird."

"That's what being a gamer does to you." said Flower with a barely-concealed smirk.

Chapter Text

It was easy to seduce Gumi.

...Okay, that sounded kinda gross. Gumi wasn't desperate, she was just easily flustered. Lily just happened to be really good at flirting with girls, especially Gumi in particular. That was why seducing her was so much fun.

With the smallest touch in just the right place, or the softest word, or the briefest kiss, Gumi would melt. Lily took pride in seeing her face turn a bright red, at the way her voice would become shaky and laced with lust. Gumi was very self-conscious about her sexual side, so Lily cherished those moments when she would start to open up about those kinds of feelings.

"Lily, I..." she mumbled, looking down at her hands. "I'm...can we...I mean, you're very, uh..." Sometimes, she'd feel ashamed of herself and try to hide her face. Lily was always there with a reassuring kiss and a loving smile every time.

"It's okay," she whispered, "there ain't nothin' to be ashamed of, darlin'. You don't have to do anythin' you don't wanna."

"But I do! I mean, I want to!" Gumi spluttered, the words pouring out before she could stop herself. "I'm just scared you'll see me as being desperate. I'm scared you'll think I'm only using you."

Lily laughed. "Babe, I'm the one who's on top of you and makin' out with you right now. I'm pretty sure it's impossible to use someone who wants you just as bad as you do. I mean, we're both consenting to this."

Gumi nodded, feeling slightly more at ease. "I know...sorry for worrying at a time like this. I'm just...not used to..." She trailed off.

"Hot girls wantin' to bang you?"

Gumi squealed, a giggle escaping her lips. "Don't say it like that!"

"But it's true," Lily said, her voice lowering to a husky murmur. "I think you're wonderful, Gumi. I wanna do this with you because I love you, and..." She leaned in until her lips were just barely grazing Gumi's. "Because I want you."

Gumi shuddered, her eyes clouding over with desire. Boldly, she closed the gap between them, moaning lightly into the kiss as Lily stroked her hair.

"I love you," she whispered when they broke apart.

"I love you too, babe," Lily responded, pecking her on the cheek.

Chapter Text

Gumi was never a very balanced person. She wasn't nearly as athletic as Lily, so doing anything physically exerting for more than a few minutes was pretty much the end of her.

That was why she seriously regretted asking to go jogging with her.

Lily was already far ahead, barely fazed at all by the strain of the distance they had made so far. She turned around to look at Gumi, smiling as if nothing was wrong. "You doin' okay back there, babe?"

Gumi was most certainly not doing okay. She was practically wobbling in place behind Lily, her chest heaving like she had just run an actual marathon and not a block away from their house.

"I'm...fine..." Gumi huffed, "Just...gimme...a second..." She made to take another step forward, only to find herself toppling to the ground below.

"Holy shit!" Lily cried, reaching out to grab her just in time. "Babe, can you hear me? Are you, like, awake?"

Gumi nodded, vaguely aware of what was happening. "Yeah, yeah...what's going on?"

Lily couldn't stop herself from snickering a little. "You, uh, kinda fell over."

"Oh." Normally, Gumi would have been flustered, but she was too distracted by the intense exhaustion racking her body to care. "Can we...sit down?"

"Yeah, yeah, of course!" Lily immediately picked her up and sat down on a nearby bench, grateful that they weren't too far from home and could return back quickly if things got serious. She doubted they would, but it was a reassuring thought. "How ya holdin' up there, darlin'? Want some water or somethin'?"

"Yes, please," Gumi responded automatically, reaching out for the water bottle that was handed to her. She swallowed down as much as she could, pausing only to take another deep breath. Lily chuckled at the sight.

"Maybe jogging isn't for you, sweetheart."

Gumi, now a bit more aware of what was going on, blushed ever so slightly. She had to admit, Lily was right, but...

Falling into her arms had been kinda nice.

Chapter Text

Sometimes, Gumi felt bad for needing Lily a lot. She knew it wasn't her fault, but she couldn't help feeling like a burden for always going to her every time she was anxious or depressed.

Lily didn't mind. She told Gumi, over and over again, "Don't feel bad about needing me for stuff like this. That's what good girlfriends are for."

And while Gumi took comfort in those words, she still felt guilty. What if she was putting too much pressure on Lily? What if she was forcing her to stop worrying about her own needs? What if, what if, what if-

But Lily made it clear to her that that wasn't the case. "I'm helpin' you because I want to, babe. Your happiness is the most important thing in the world to me."

"I know," Gumi mumbled, trailing a finger over one of her girlfriend's tattoos. "I just feel bad for dumping this on you, like I'm too whiny or I'm dragging you down."

Lily gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Babe, trust me, if you were draggin' me down in any way, I'd tell ya. It wouldn't be healthy to keep all that shit bottled up inside, y'know? Besides..." She pulled Gumi's face up to look into her eyes. "You're always there for me, so it's only fair to be there for you, too."

"I am?"

"Well, duh. Whenever I'm sad, you always know what to do or say to make me smile again." Lily blushed as she spoke, an incredibly rare sight that was reserved for Gumi's eyes only. "And, well...I love you. I want to make you happy, since you make me happy every day." She averted her gaze shyly - another rare moment - only for Gumi to pull her back again.

"I..." she began, only to decide now wasn't the time for words. Instead, she leaned in to give Lily a soft kiss, which she readily reciprocated. They stayed like that for a long time, ignoring the need for air. When they finally pulled apart, both of them were smiling.

"Well, shit," Lily said with a little chuckle, "I guess both of us needed that."

Gumi giggled, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "I guess so."

Chapter Text

Gumi and Lily were not particularly experienced when it came to formal events. The most sophisticated thing either of them had been to was their own wedding, but that had been entirely improvised and not traditional in any means. Yuuma was not qualified to officiate a wedding, after all.

But they had been invited to this event by Lily's parents, and while Lily herself would have gladly denied, Gumi thought it would be romantic to go to a ballroom together. So, they searched their closets for the most fancy outfits they could find and went to the party without any other form of preparation.

Upon arriving there, Lily and Gumi realized that they were rather under-dressed compared to everyone else. Lily's simple suit looked like rags compared to some of the finer ones that she spotted upon arriving, and Gumi's sleek yet slightly frilly dress was practically tiny in comparison to the large, poofy dresses worn by most of the ladies in attendance.

"I told ya this was gonna blow," Lily whispered, "c'mon, let's just find my parents, talk to 'em for a while, and then leave."

Gumi looked shocked. "Without dancing? Are you sure?"

Lily was clearly taken aback at the question. "Dancing? Is that what you're supposed to do at these things?"

"Yes!" Gumi replied with a chuckle. "But not, y'know, the kind of dancing that you're familiar with. Elegant dancing."

Lily scoffed. "You make it sound like Fortnite dancing isn't elegant."

Gumi had to restrain an even louder laugh as she pulled Lily over to the dance floor. "Come on, let me show you! It's easy!"

"Have you done this before, babe?"

Gumi blushed. "Well, no...but I've thought about it a lot, and I've always wanted to do something like this with you..."

Lily smiled and put her hands on Gumi's waist. "Fair enough. So, what, I just do this?"

Gumi nodded, wrapping her arms around Lily's shoulders. "Yep! And then I just do this..." She leaned in closer so that she could press her face against Lily's chest, a content sigh leaving her lips. "And now we dance."

Lily couldn't stop herself from giving the top of Gumi's head a kiss as she let her body sway to the slow music. Maybe, she thought, this wasn't so bad after all.

Chapter Text

Gumi didn't mean to stare at Lily. She really, honestly didn't.

It wasn't her fault her eyes tended to wander over to that head of golden blonde hair, those eyes of crystalline blue, those intricate tattoos and those toned arms and-

No, no, no, no. She was not staring. What would her parents say if they found out she was staring at another girl like that? Gumi liked boys. She was supposed to like boys. Lily was just...attractive. Girls were allowed to think other girls were attractive without being attracted to them. But...

Sometimes, during class or casual hangouts, Gumi would find her eyes slipping over to Lily and taking her in. And sometimes, only sometimes, Lily would notice. She'd turn to look at Gumi and give her a smile and a playful wink, snapping her out of her trance and reminding her what she was doing.

Gumi didn't know how much longer this could go on. She couldn't keep staring at Lily like this. It was unnatural, it was wrong, it was sinful. And yet...

Something about the sight was oddly comforting.

Lily hoped Gumi didn't notice her staring.

Gumi, from what she could gather, liked boys (though she sometimes wondered if that was really the case, given the general disinterest she seemed to have in them when asked). Lily, in case it wasn't glaringly obvious, did not. She made it a point to remind people that she was gay whenever there was any doubt, though there rarely was. That was why she felt so bad for staring at Gumi.

Lily already had to worry about assholes in the hallway making snide remarks to her about how she would "steal" their girlfriends. What she did not want to worry about was subjecting Gumi to that same crowd. Gumi already got bullied enough, but Lily didn't want to subject her to any more than she already had if word got out that she had a crush on her.

But at the same time, Lily couldn't exactly help her staring. Gumi was just so perfect, so delicate and yet so independent, so dainty yet so strong, that Lily found herself becoming more and more captivated by her. She hated herself for crushing on a straight girl, but goddammit, she just wanted to hold her, to protect her, to be there for her and make her smile and tell her everything would be okay.

But she couldn't. After all, she thought bitterly, what were the chances of Gumi liking her back, anyway?

Chapter Text

Gumi had heard the legends about "Menacing Masuda," but had never got to meet her in person.

She had heard stories, though. It was hard not to in such a big school. Menacing Masuda was one of the school's most intimidating bullies, a girl who was so strong and fearsome that even some of the boys feared her.

That was why she was surprised when she found out it was Lily.

The topic had come up so casually in conversation. The two of them were discussing rumors and gossip when Gumi happened to mention Menacing Masuda and how terrifying she supposedly was. Lily had perked up.

"Oh, shit, you mean me?" she asked. Gumi nearly choked on her lunch.

"Wha- you're Menacing Masuda?!" she exclaimed, staring at Lily with wide eyes.

"Well, duh. Masuda is my last name, dummy." Lily remarked playfully. "You didn't think it was just a coincidence that all the bullies go runnin' away from you whenever I'm around, did ya?"

Gumi didn't reply, lost in thought. Of course. Ever since she had started hanging out with Lily, nobody wanted to bully her anymore. Anyone who tried was met with a threatening glare and some less-than-polite words from Lily, and that usually caused them to back off. Gumi kicked herself for not putting two and two together.

"Yeah, I'm kinda the most terrifying person around," Lily bragged. To prove her point, she waved at a couple of random kids nearby, who immediately picked up their stuff and fled with wide eyes. She laughed and turned back to Gumi with a confident smile. "See? They think I'm dangerous."

"That's..." Gumi paused, trying to take in everything that had happened. "That's horrible!"

Lily blinked, clearly not expecting that response. "What?"

"That's horrible! The fact that people treat you that way!" Gumi said, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're not mean or menacing at all! You're really strong and dependable and sweet!"

Lily blushed - the first time Gumi had ever seen her do so - and stammered, "Sweet?!"

"Well, yeah! You're always protecting me, and you really care about Miku and the twins and everyone else!" Gumi knew she was practically rambling at this point, but she didn't care. "You're not a bully, and you're not dangerous! Why are they so intimidated by you, anyway?"

Lily frowned and turned her gaze downward. "It's 'cause I'm a 'big, scary butch.' Dudes don't like chicks who can take 'em down, so they go after us." She shrugged, putting on a brave face. "But who cares, am I right? If they want me to be Menacing Masuda, then I'll be Menacing Masuda. It beats bein' seen as weak."

"Maybe, but..." Gumi tugged at her fingers, a common habit of hers whenever she was stressed. "I still don't think you're menacing or a bully. I think...I think you're one of my best friends."

Lily's eyes widened. Best friend? She had never had a best friend before. Were all best friends supposed to make a person feel the way she was feeling right now? The inside of her chest felt like it was swelling with some kind of pleasant, warm emotion that she didn't know how to describe.

"You shouldn't be hangin' around with dangerous gals like me, dollface," Lily muttered, trying to hide her smile, "but thanks. You're...alright." It wasn't what she had really intended to say, but she didn't want to seem like she was coming on to Gumi after only knowing her for a couple of weeks. What would she think of her? Especially after learning that she was Menacing Masuda?

Thankfully, Gumi didn't seem to mind the underwhelming compliment. Instead, she laughed, a cute little angelic laugh that sounded kind of like a bell. "If you're dangerous, then I'm a risk-taker," she giggled, "and I'm gonna hang out with you as much as I want, so there!"

Lily still didn't know what the strange emotion in her chest was, but she started to have a sneaking suspicion that it was more than just a simple fondness.

Chapter Text

When they arrived at the beach, the first thing Lily did was run out of the car, screaming, "FUCK YEAH, BEACH TIME!"

"Lily!" Gumi yelled, covering Ryuto's ears. "Language! We are in public!"

"I know what the F word means-" Ryuto started, only to be cut off by a disapproving frown from his sister.

Lily turned around and sighed, making her way back toward her girlfriend. "Ugggh, fine. Now, c'mon, hurry up! It's hot as balls out here!"

"I don't know what that means," Ryuto remarked, prompting a groan from Gumi.

"Okay, okay, settle down. You guys put on sunscreen?" she asked sternly.

"Yep!" Lily and Ryuto replied in unison.

"You have everything you need?"

"Yep!"

Gumi smiled, waving them off. "Then go have fun!"

Ryuto immediately ran off with an excited cry, but Lily surprisingly stayed put. "Are you sure you don't wanna come, babe? It's summer. Everyone deserves to have fun on the beach in the summer."

Gumi turned her gaze toward the ground. "I would, but..." She nodded her head toward her arms. Lily frowned and took her girlfriend's hands in her own, giving her forehead a reassuring kiss.

"Hey, you don't gotta if you don't want to," she mumbled, "but are you sure? It's super hot out here, and I don't want you meltin' into a puddle at home."

"Well...I guess it would be nice to take a little dip, but-"

"Great! Then let's go!" Lily seized Gumi's hand and took off toward the water, laughing all the way.

"Wha- hey!" Gumi cried. "I'm not wearing a bathing suit!"

"Who cares? You can always wash everything at home!" Lily pulled Gumi along, nearly fumbling over the hot sand, but still managing to keep her balance. It wasn't long before Gumi started to laugh too, especially when they got closer to the water.

"Don't you dare!"

Ryuto, who was already playing in the water, stared up at them with wide, amused eyes. "Ooh, are you gonna splash her?"

"Even better!" Lily replied with a wink. She lifted Gumi into her arms, ignoring her playful protests, and ran into the water, making sure to lower her just above any of the waves that were approaching so she could get splashed.

"What are you doing?" Gumi asked, still giggling. Her scars seemed to be the least of her worries at this point.

"Oh, nothing," Lily said innocently, "but it looks like you can't get back from here without gettin' wet. What a shame!"

Gumi responded by reaching into the water and splashing Lily, causing her to let out a surprised gasp and accidentally drop her.

"Oh, shit!" she muttered, her eyes scanning the water in a panic. "Gumi? Babe??"

As soon as she asked the question, Gumi rose up with a surge of water surrounding her, aiming it directly at Lily. She was laughing now, occasionally snorting between giggles. Lily couldn't help but join her.

"I'll get ya for this!" Lily exclaimed, preparing her counterattack.

"Oh, no you don't!"

From the shore, Ryuto was watching the scene unfold as he built a little sandcastle. My sister is gay, he thought to himself as he continued gathering damp sand.

Chapter Text

This is it, Gumi thought to herself, her blood racing with anxiety, this is the day I finally tell her.

Gumi had never expected to develop a crush on the goody-two-shoes Lily. She had a reputation to maintain as the toughest kid in school, and being seen with someone as nerdy and unassuming as Lily kinda changed the way people saw her. It was sort of embarrassing, which was why Gumi had hoped to keep her feelings in check. But nooooo, Lily just had to enamor her with her charms.

Well, fine. If Gumi couldn't change the way people saw her, she might as well come to terms with the facts and admit that she had it bad for Lily. It wouldn't be easy, but she could do it. Probably. Maybe.

Gumi spotted Lily at her locker, hastily shoving books into her backpack. Gumi sucked in a deep breath and quickened her pace, slamming her hand into the neighboring locker to catch Lily's attention.

"Heyyyy...dollface??" Gumi began uncertainly, trying to maintain a cool smirk. "Whatcha doin' over there?"

"Um..." Lily played with her hair - a cute habit she had whenever she got nervous - and said, "Getting ready for class."

"Really? Heh, that's...a nerd thing to do!! Because!!! You're a nerd!!" Gumi hoped she wasn't letting her own anxiety show on her face. "But, like, in a cute way! Y'know, it's very becoming! Kinda like an aesthetic sorta thing!" God, she was terrible at this. Why was she so terrible at this?? She had hit on plenty of other girls before!!

Lily looked more confused than accepting, but she nodded somewhat reluctantly. "I...guess?"

Gumi decided it was best to cut to the chase. "Listen, um...would you...maybe..." Just say it. Don't back out now. Just say it. "Would you maybe wanna eat lunch with me today?"

Lily tilted her head. "But we eat lunch together every day."

"I mean...later! After school!" Gumi tried to force a cool smile, but she probably looked constipated. "I mean, I guess it wouldn't be lunch then...it would be dinner! Yeah, we can have dinner!! At the cafe across the street from my place!"

Lily blushed, pulling her long blonde hair over her face to disguise her reddening face. "O-oh! Um, you mean..." Her voice quivered as she spoke. "You mean like a...a date?"

"Yes!" Gumi cried, maybe a little too quickly. "Yes, exactly! A date! With me!! Unless, of course, you don't want to!! That's fine, too!!"

"No, I...I want to!" Lily replied, and for the first time that day, Gumi could see her smile. "Th-thank you!"

Gumi sighed, relieved, her anxiety spilling out of her with every breath. Yes! Yes! "No, thank YOU! For bein'...really cute!!"

Lily squealed and covered her face again. This caused Gumi to grin in satisfaction. Finally, her charms revealed themselves!

"I have to go to class now!" Lily spluttered. "But I'll see you!! Tonight!!"

"Yep! Tonight!" Gumi called as Lily hurried off to her classroom. "I'll be there!! And you'll be there! Because it's a date!" She waved Lily off, not even noticing the confused looks some of the other students were giving her. When she did, however, she shot them all a glare. "What the fuck are you lookin' at, assholes?"

The collection of students hastily picked up their things and practically ran to their next destination. Gumi smiled as they left. It feels good to be king.

Chapter Text

Gumi didn't know when she started seeing the string. She had to have been no older than ten, at least.

Her first instinct upon spotting the little red string tied around her pinky finger was to untie it. When that didn't work, she went to get scissors to cut it. And when that didn't work, curiosity got the better of her and she decided to follow where it lead.

She didn't get very far, mostly because she was afraid of wandering out of the house alone. But she saw that red string every day from now on, and nobody else seemed to be able to see it.

Gumi, of course, knew what this meant. It meant that somewhere out there, she had a soulmate. She knew the story of the red string of fate connecting two people together who were destined to be lovers. She had friends at school who claimed to have already found their soulmates, but of course, Gumi couldn't see their strings. The red string of fate was only visible to those who were connected by it.

Years passed, and Gumi eventually got used to the string. It never got caught on anything, and she didn't have to worry about it breaking, so it became less of a hassle in her everyday life. Sometimes, she still got the urge to follow it, to see where it lead, but she didn't want to force herself upon this unknown soulmate of hers. What if they didn't like her then? Was it possible for the red string to snap on its own if one of the people didn't like the other? Gumi hoped not.

When the first day of high school came around, Gumi became even more self-conscious about her string. She knew other people couldn't see it, but the fact that more and more people were finding their soulmates was enough to be disheartening to her. Maybe, she thought sadly, she wasn't destined to find her soulmate because she was too much of a disappointment for anyone to like her. Her poor soulmate would be sad, but it would all be for the best in the long run. Maybe they'd find someone else to be soulmates with, if that was even possible.

But then, she saw it, and her whole world was filled with more questions than answers.

The girl that the string was connected to looked nothing like Gumi had ever imagined. For one, she never thought her soulmate would be a girl in the first place. Secondly, this girl looked like she could beat the living shit out of everyone in the school, including the teachers.

And there, tied around her pinky finger, was the same red string that was tied around Gumi's.

It wasn't long before their eyes met, and Gumi felt her face turn the same color as the string. Oh god, her soulmate was looking at her. Her soulmate was a girl and she was looking at her and coming toward her and oh god she was so strong what if she was gonna beat her up or something for not looking like she expected and oh god oh god oh god-

"Well," the girl said nervously, rubbing the back of her neck, "this is awkward."

Gumi blinked, staring up at her in confusion. That was not the reaction she was expecting. She was expecting anger, frustration, maybe some homophobia. But instead, this girl, this big, strong girl, looked shy. It was enough to make Gumi squeak out a, "Huh?"

The girl laughed (oh god, her laugh was wonderful) and held up the string. "I mean, I didn't expect to meet my soulmate today, y'know? I always thought I'd just die alone with this stupid thing still tied around my fuckin' finger."

Gumi snorted in laughter, but quickly tried to cover it up by waving her hands. "Sorry, sorry, I just - that's not directed at you, I just...I always thought the same thing about myself."

Lily chuckled. "It's cool. So, uh...what's your name? Mine's Lily. Lily Masuda."

Lily. That wasn't a Japanese name, but it still fit her somehow. Gumi loved the sound of it already. "Um...I'm Megumi, but most people call me Gumi."

Lily smiled and stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet ya, Gumi. Apparently, we're supposed to be soulmates or some shit."

Gumi smiled back and took Lily's hand. She liked her already. She was funny, charming, and...well, maybe it wasn't so bad that she was a girl. Lily certainly didn't seem to have any problem with it. In fact, she almost seemed as if she had expected it.

More and more students were flocking in to the school, so Gumi and Lily had to part ways. But as they separated, Gumi couldn't help but notice that the string was now glowing brighter than ever.

Seeing that glow made Gumi even more determined than ever to protect her soulmate, no matter what happened.

Chapter Text

Lily hated snow.

It was stupid and cold and wet and it never left her alone. No matter where she went in the winter, she always managed to get snow soaking into her clothes somehow. She hated it and she wished summer would hurry its ass along so she didn't have to worry about it anymore.

But of course, she would do anything for Gumi.

Ryuto had wanted to go outside and build snowmen and igloos and all the usual snow stuff that Lily didn't care about. She was content to simply stay inside with her hot chocolate and let the kid have some fun, but Gumi had expressed the desire to go with him, as she also liked building things out of snow. Not wanting to be alone in the house, Lily had agreed to accompany her. After all, she thought, maybe it wouldn't be so bad with Gumi by her side.

She was somewhat correct. The snow was still a huge pain in the ass, but seeing Gumi and her brother smile and have fun really did cheer her up. She wished she could share the sentiment.

"Yo, Goom," Lily whispered once they were alone in their igloo, "not to be a buzzkill or anything, but when are we goin' inside? I'm freezin' my ass off out here."

Gumi giggled and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "We might go in soon. We've been out here a while."

"Thank fuck," Lily mumbled, only to earn a scolding glare from Gumi.

"Language!" she reminded her. "My little brother is out there!"

"So what? We're in our own private little igloo. Nothin' can get to us in here." Lily smiled deviously, leaning in closer to Gumi's face. "In fact, since we got the privacy, maybe you can help me warm up a little, yeah?"

Gumi blushed, taking both of Lily's gloved hands in her own. It wasn't long before Lily closed the gap between their lips and climbed on top of her...only for the both of them to slip on the wet snow and fall into the wall of the igloo, sending it crashing down on top of them.

Gumi was caught off-guard by the sudden collapse, but it wasn't long until she started laughing hysterically. Lily, on the other hand, was less than pleased, shouting curses as the snow soaked into her formerly warm coat. Ryuto peeked over the top of his snow fort to look at them.

"Guys? What happened?" he asked, seeming more concerned about the igloo than his sister and her wife. Gumi pointed at Lily teasingly, still laughing too hard to speak clearly.

"Aw, man..." Ryuto muttered, shaking his head at the remains of the snow structure. "Now we gotta rebuild the whole thing!"

Lily darted up, shaking her head wildly. "Nope!" she cried, running in the direction of the house. "Nope, nope, nope, nope! NOOOOPE!"

Ryuto looked down at Gumi, confused. "What's her problem?"

Gumi stood up, brushing herself off and trying to contain her laughter. "Oh, she's just cold, that's all. In fact, I think we should join her. We've been out here a long time."

Ryuto seemed disappointed at this, but at the promise of hot chocolate, he seemed a bit more willing to go inside. Gumi took his hand and followed Lily, who turned around to shoot her a dirty look. Gumi simply responded with a playful smile, which at least seemed to ease some of Lily's frustration.

Maybe snow isn't so bad, Lily thought, but I'd still rather wait for summer.

Chapter Text

Sometimes, Lily envied Gumi for being so warm all the time.

Gumi almost always wore sweaters or other long-sleeved shirts, so she never had to worry about getting too cold. Lily, on the other hand, preferred more loose T-shirts and shorts, at least when she was indoors. When she went outside in the cold weather, she usually wore jeans and a leather jacket, which was not exactly the warmest attire. She pretty much always had to depend on hugging or clutching Gumi for warmth, which never seemed to annoy her.

"It's cold as balls out here," Lily muttered, holding Gumi close. "How do you put up with this shit?"

Gumi laughed and returned Lily's embrace. "I wear warm clothes like a normal person."

Lily grumbled and continued to snuggle her. They were currently waiting in front of Ryuto's school to pick him up and walk him home. Some of the other parents that were there were giving them strange looks, but Lily simply glared at them and they stopped. Then, she got an idea.

"All these people are watchin' us," Lily whispered, "you wanna do somethin' gay?"

Gumi blushed, but nodded. "What are we gonna do?"

Lily smirked and pulled Gumi's face in closer to cover her face with kisses, prompting surprised giggles out of her. The crowd around them couldn't stop staring now, but Lily and Gumi kept at it, taking turns giving each other smooches.

"Y'know what?" Lily said in between kisses. "I don't feel so cold anymore."

Gumi smiled and gave her a tiny kiss on the nose. "Neither do I."

When Ryuto finally came out of the building, Lily and Gumi had stopped kissing to avoid embarrassing him in front of his friends. He smiled up at them as they took each of his hands and began the walk back home.

"It's so cold out here!" he complained, hanging his head. Lily and Gumi looked at each other knowingly.

"Well, you know what that means!" Gumi said before she and Lily bent down to kiss both of his cheeks. Ryuto feigned disgust and wiped it off, prompting them to kiss him again.

"Eww, gross!" he exclaimed. "I'm gonna get cooties now!"

Lily stuck out her tongue at him. "Well, maybe you shoulda thought of that before you said you were cold around us!"

Chapter Text

Gumi apologized a lot. It was a nervous habit of hers, what with her upbringing. Growing up, she found herself forced to say sorry for every little thing out of fear for her own well-being. Lily didn't judge her for it. She simply listened to what she had to say and reassured her.

"I'm sorry," Gumi sighed, lacing her fingers together with Lily's. "I'm sorry, I just...I don't think I can handle going out tonight. I don't like crowds."

They had been planning to go out somewhere special for Gumi's birthday, but the concert Lily had gotten tickets for ended up being way too packed with people for Gumi's liking. Lily tried to tell her that it was okay, that they didn't have to go if she didn't want to, but Gumi still felt bad about it.

"You paid for these," she murmured, "and here I am being selfish and...and not letting you use them."

"I don't think it's selfish," Lily told her, planting a kiss on her forehead. "I shoulda thought about the crowd before I even bought 'em. It was a mistake on my part, and I'm sorry."

"D-don't be sorry!" Gumi squealed, clutching Lily's hand even tighter. "You didn't do anything wrong! You just wanted to take me to a nice show..."

Lily paused for a moment, an idea starting to form in her mind. Then, once it all clicked together, she brightened and got up.

"Wait! I know what to do! Just wait here for a second!" Lily motioned to Gumi to stay on the couch and ran to their shared bedroom, heading for the closet. Of course! Why hadn't she thought of this before??

When she came back, a familiar black case in hand, she sat down on a chair in front of Gumi and pulled her guitar out of the box.

"Why pay to see a show when I can play better than those shitheads could even dream?" Lily bragged, strumming at the strings idly with one hand. She used the other to tune the instrument, turning the knobs to make sure that they were just right.

"Oh, Lily..." Gumi whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "Th-thank you, thank you, I'm-"

"Sorry? Well, you shouldn't be, because nobody in their right mind would be sorry to see a performance by the great Lily Masuda!" Lily straightened up, pulling the guitar pick out of the box. "Now, just settle down, birthday girl, 'cause this one goes out to you."

With that, Lily began to play, sweet lyrics leaving her lips and soft melodies from the guitar. Gumi sat there and listened, entranced by her girlfriend's talent. She had never heard Lily play so softly before, so gentle and full of love.

When she finished playing the first song, Gumi didn't hesitate to wrap her in an embrace, more tears streaming down her face. Lily gave her a kiss on the cheek, then on the lips.

"I hope you're ready for more," Lily said, "'cause that was only the beginning."

Gumi smiled, stroking the side of her girlfriend's face. "Of course I'm ready. I love you."

"I love you too, darling." Lily gave Gumi another quick kiss, this time on the nose. "Happy birthday."

Chapter Text

It was another ordinary day for Lily Masuda, or about as ordinary as any day could get for a mafia member. She had just been called in to the mechanic's garage to get into the vehicle that would take her to her next assignment. Lucky for her, that meant she got to see her favorite person in the whole wide world.

"Honey, I'm home!" she called as she kicked open the door to the garage. "Did ya miss me?"

Gumi, the resident mechanic, rolled her eyes. "You gotta stop kicking in my door. The boss'll kill me if you break it, dumbass."

Lily strode up to Gumi and leaned against the hood of the car she was working on. "What can I say? I'm just soooo excited to see the world's hottest mechanic."

Gumi blushed and stood up, taking off her oil-stained gloves. "Sh-shut up. What's this next job you're working on?"

"Oh, y'know," Lily said nonchalantly, "kill some men, take their money, fuck you."

This time, Gumi groaned, opening the door to the car and clambering into the driver's seat. "I give that one a 5 outta 10. You can do better, Masuda."

Lily shrugged and got into the passenger's side. "What can I say? You're always hypnotizin' me with that ass of yours, it's hard to think straight...literally."

Gumi sighed and gave Lily a quick peck on the cheek before starting the car. "Just try to keep it in your pants until after we're done with the job. Then you can say all the terrible pickup lines you want."

Lily smiled, buckling her seatbelt. "Love ya, babe."

Gumi blushed again, barely noticeable in the dimmer light of the car. "Love you, too, dear."

And with that, they drove off to murder some men in cold blood.

Chapter Text

The first thing Gumi did when she got home was collapse on the couch.

"I'm home," she called weakly, her voice muffled by the pillows. Lily somehow managed to hear her anyway, walking out into the living room with concern on her face.

"Babe?" she called uncertainly. "Are you okay?"

Gumi held up a peace sign before rolling over. "Never better."

Lily sighed and sat down beside her, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Did you overwork yourself today?"

Gumi shook her head. "No, no, I'm just...so tired."

"You wouldn't be so tired if you didn't overwork yourself." Lily climbed on top of her and planted a kiss on her cheek, nuzzling into her neck soon afterwards. "You deserve some rest. C'mon, into the bed."

Gumi groaned. "But I don't wanna get up..."

Lily smirked and got off the couch, towering over Gumi. "Well, then, I guess I'll just have to fix that for ya!" Suddenly, she lifted Gumi into her arms, prompting a surprised squeal from her.

"H-hey! What are you doing?!" Gumi cried, though she didn't seem to object to being held. Lily simply smiled and gave her another kiss, this time on the lips.

"I'm just doin' my duty as your Prince Charming and carryin' you to safety!" she declared. Gumi squeaked and covered her face with her hands.

"Where are we going?"

"To the bedroom, obviously!" Lily looked down at Gumi with a wink. "Don't worry, I don't mean that in a sexual way. Unless, of course, you want me to, but I think you're way too tired for that right now."

Gumi wrapped her arms around Lily's chest and shoulders. "Sh-shush! Just take me somewhere soft where I can lie down and sleep!"

"You got it, princess."

Chapter Text

Gumi used to like being alone. Now, she dreaded it.

Being with Lily made her realize just how harmful it was for her to shut herself in all the time. She was still an introvert at heart, but being totally alone with nothing but her thoughts was basically a gateway for her anxiety.

She didn't want to tell anyone about it, as she feared being seen as manipulative. But secretly, when she was home alone, she didn't dare take a step outside of her room for fear of wandering to where the razors were kept and having her body move before her mind could.

It had happened once before. Last year, she had ended up in the hospital because of an anxiety attack that lead to her self-harming. Lily had talked to her about it, and they both agreed that it was probably a good idea to put the razors and knives somewhere safer so that it wouldn't happen again. In the end, they had been stowed away in a drawer that was sealed with a padlock. Only Lily knew where the key was.

...That is, until Gumi had found it.

She sat in her room, staring at the key she had discovered in the back of Lily's sock drawer. She had been searching for their money so she could order food for herself, and she remembered Lily saying something about hiding cash in the drawers to fool potential thieves into thinking they had no money. It was only a matter of pure chance that Gumi had ended up looking in the wrong drawer.

For a while, she stared at it, not knowing what to do. Then, her hands moved to her pocket, and she began dialing Lily's number on her phone.

Lily answered immediately. "Babe? What's wrong?" she asked, apparently already sensing the distress from the other end.

Gumi took a deep breath. "I found the key."

Silence. Lily was lost in thought, trying to figure out what the next course of action should be. Finally, she asked, "What...what are you going to do?"

"I don't know." Gumi's voice was shaky as she spoke. "I didn't mean to find it, I-I wasn't looking for it, I was just trying to find the money so I could-"

"Shhh." Lily's soft whispers were enough to quiet Gumi down. "It's okay, it's okay. Are you...do you think you're going to-?" She trailed off, concern evident in her voice.

Gumi paused, trying to sort her feelings out. Did she want to self-harm? No, she most certainly did not. It was just her anxiety telling her that she could, if the urge arose. That was what scared her. She had the power to make the decision now, and there was nobody there to stop her.

She told all this to Lily, who hummed in concentration. She waited until Gumi was finished to say, "Okay, listen very carefully. I want you to put the key back where you found it and listen to me."

Gumi did as she was told, carefully putting the key back in the drawer and lying down on her bed.

"Good," Lily said, "now, tell me why you don't want to self-harm."

Gumi blinked in confusion, even though she knew Lily couldn't see her. "What?"

"You heard me. Tell me why you don't want to self-harm."

Gumi hesitated for a moment, trying to think of what to say. "Well...I don't want to self-harm because I don't want you or Ryuto to worry about me again. I'm...I'm tired of making you worry about me." There was silence from the other end of the line, so Gumi continued. "I don't want to self-harm because I hate the hospital and I don't want to go back there again. That place gives me even more anxiety."

"Keep going," Lily encouraged.

"I don't want to self-harm because...because I love you," Gumi stammered, a blush creeping onto her face. "And Ryuto. And I don't want to leave you guys. Ryuto needs someone to take care of him, and...and you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Gumi could sense Lily's smile from the other end of the line. "I love you too," she said, "do you feel better now that you got all that out?"

Gumi's eyes widened. She hadn't even realized it, but Lily's orders had made her feel a little better about herself. "Yeah..."

"Good." Lily's voice was shining with love, and Gumi's heart melted at the sound of it. "Just put the key back and wait there, okay? I'm almost home. When I get back, we can talk about it even more, okay?"

"Okay," Gumi said. She picked up the key and gently put it back in its original position behind the socks, lying back on the bed when she was done. "Now what?"

"Just wait for me," Lily told her, "I promise I'll be there. If you ever feel anxious when you're alone, don't be afraid to call me, okay? I don't mind goin' wherever you are, even if you're thousands of miles away from me. I love you."

Gumi smiled, a very faint smile. "I love you too."

Being alone was still stressful, but...maybe she wasn't truly alone after all.

Chapter Text

Lily first noticed the red stains on Gumi's bed the second time she went over to her house.

The first time, Gumi hadn't let her come in her room. Lily was fine with that. She had kinda dropped in unexpectedly, asking Gumi if she could come visit on the walk home from school. Lily figured that the reason Gumi didn't want her to go in her bedroom was because she forgot to make her bed that morning or something.

But the second time, when her visit was more planned out, Lily was allowed in. Gumi's room was relatively small; the walls were bare, and the only thing in her room besides her bed was a desk with a computer and a couple Gundam figures, as well as a chair. That was Lily's first warning that something was wrong. What kind of teenager had a room so devoid of stuff?

But she put aside her worries when Gumi sat down on the well-made bed. Lily sat beside her, and for a while they chatted about school and all the other things they usually talked about at Lily's house.

Then, when Gumi got up to respond to a call from Ryuto, Lily was left alone in the room for a little while. That was when she saw it, just barely noticeable underneath the plush orange pillow: a very faint maroon stain.

Curiosity got the better of her as she lifted the pillow to see more. The stains looked old, but they were there, haphazardly dotted around the area under the pillow. Lily's first thought was that someone had hurt Gumi, hence the reason for the stains, but her logical mind told her that if that was the case, the stains would be all over the bed. Her mind went back to those scars on Gumi's wrists. Were these...?

"Hey, I'm ba-" Gumi suddenly walked into the room, freezing when she saw Lily looking at the red patches. Lily looked up at her with wide, concerned eyes.

"What are these?" she asked, the words coming out without her meaning to. "Gumi, how old are these? How old are those?" She pointed to the scars on Gumi's wrists, her voice wavering with emotion.

"I..." Gumi's voice seemed to die in her throat. "Those...you weren't...I mean-" She choked on her own words, a soft sob escaping her lips. Lily, immediately regretting her harsh tone, rushed over to comfort her.

"Hey, hey," she whispered, "don't cry, I'm sorry. I just...I wanted..." She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. "I care about you, Gumi. I care about you a lot. And I know you don't ever talk about it, but I know you do these things to yourself. I'm not stupid." She pulled Gumi over to sit on the bed. "I don't wanna be intrusive, but...what's really goin' on?"

Gumi didn't respond for a while, still crying into Lily's shoulder. When she looked up, eyes red and puffy, she mumbled, "I'm sorry - my parents, they...they're never here, and I have to take care of everything because Ryuto's only a kid, and I-" She paused to allow another shaky cry to escape her. "I'm sorry, I just can't do it, I can't do it for very long and I know it's selfish and that's why I don't do it on the bed anymore, I didn't want anyone to see them, I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Lily grabbed each of Gumi's shoulders, rubbing up and down. "It's okay, it's okay! Stop talking for now. Just breathe and focus on where I'm touching."

Gumi did as she was told, her breaths coming out in stilted gasps while she grabbed desperately at Lily's hands. Lily let her squeeze them as much as she needed to. Her grip wasn't that strong, anyway.

"I understand if you don't want to hang out with me anymore," said Gumi, "I've been lying to you and you probably think I'm manipulative and-"

"No!" Lily interrupted quickly. "No, no, no! I don't think you're manipulative or a liar. You're my best friend, Gumi. I want to help you!"

Gumi tilted her head in confusion. "Help me? How?"

"Well, for starters, you don't have to take care of this place alone," Lily began, "you got me and Miku and the twins. I'm sure they'd be willin' to help you out." She paused, stroking Gumi's fingers idly. "We can come over every day - not all of us, but at least one - and we'll help you. We'll get you anything you need, and we'll help you look after Ryuto, and we'll keep you company."

"That sounds like a lot of work for me," Gumi muttered, looking away. "I don't want to pressure you guys into doing anything you don't want to."

"But that's the thing: we WANT to do it!" Lily cupped Gumi's face in her hands, turning her head toward her. "We're your friends, Gumi! I'm your friend! You think we want you to suffer like this?!"

For a moment, Gumi's face was tinted red. Then, when Lily released her grip on her face, she shook her head slowly. "N-no...I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You did nothing wrong."

Gumi leaned into Lily's shoulder, releasing a breath she didn't even know she was holding in. For a while, they remained like that, holding each other in silence.

"Thank you," Gumi finally said, "for doing this for me. You don't have to. I don't think I deserve it."

"But you do. No teenager deserves this."

Gumi sighed, wrapping her hands around Lily's arm. "I love you," she murmured softly.

Lily smiled, pulling Gumi in for a proper hug. "I love you too."

Chapter Text

Nowadays, Gumi's dreams tended to revolve around Lily.

She didn't know why. Lily was just a friend. Yes, she occasionally dreamed about her friends, but not nearly to the extent she dreamed about Lily.

They started off simply enough. Gumi would be hanging out with Lily at some fun place or another, like they normally did. That would be the end of it, at first. The more time went by, the stranger the dreams would become.

She started having dreams where she and Lily were lying on the couch and holding each other. She dreamed about holding hands with her or embracing her or even kissing her. Gumi didn't know how to feel about those dreams. As far as she knew, she wasn't attracted to girls...right?

But she couldn't deny that some small part of her enjoyed dreaming about these things. One night, she woke up in the middle of a dream about her and Lily getting married, an odd feeling of happiness stirring inside of her. She knew she should have been weirded out, but she wasn't.

They were just dreams, she told herself. They didn't mean anything. Lily was her friend and nothing more. That was what she told herself every time she found the dreams leaking into her waking hours whenever she stared off into space.

Lily dreamed about a lot of girls, but Gumi was probably the most common one.

Whenever her dreams started to take a more romantic turn, Gumi was usually there. Before, she used to dream about every cute girl she saw in the hallway, but now Gumi was occupying her mind in more ways than one.

Lily wasn't stupid. She knew what these dreams meant. She had long since accepted the fact that she had a crush on Gumi. What she could not accept was the fact that all the other girls she had crushes on didn't appear in her dreams nearly as much as Gumi did.

Her dreams about Gumi weren't even sexual. Well, okay, some of them were, but not all of them. She dreamed about sappy romantic shit, like taking her out on nice picnics and holding hands with her while walking off into the sunset. That was weird, right? If it was just a simple crush, she wouldn't be dreaming about her this way, right?

There was no way she was in love. Lily refused to believe she was in love. She was like that one chick from the Disney movie (was it Hercules?), except she wasn't gonna sing about how she totally wasn't in love, because that was kinda stupid. She would just repeat it to herself every single day.

They were just dreams, after all. She'd get over it eventually. So what if she had a crush on Gumi? Knowing her luck, there was absolutely no way Gumi had these kinds of dreams too. She probably didn't even like her back.