(no subject)
Work in progress: a talk between Akihiko and Yukari in BN-verse. As a note, I wasn't sure for a while whether I was going to do this as a fic or as playercesting, so it's written kind of oddly...sorry guys.
Akihiko walked out into his office's waiting room, finding it empty except for one brown-haired woman that he really didn't feel like seeing. He decided to preempt whatever she was there for.
"I'm sorry, I can't talk right now, I have an appointment with-"
"Fuuka Yamagishi, right? Yeah, that's me." Yukari sighed. "I borrowed a friend's name. You wouldn't have seen me otherwise, right?"
He was forced to admit that was true, but only to himself. Instead, he just nodded at her and took her to the examining room, closing the door behind them. "I'm guessing you didn't actually come here for a check-up, then," he said as he gestured her towards the bench, though he remained standing.
"No," she replied, sitting carefully. "I came here to talk about Mitsuru."
Akihiko sighed quietly. "Of course."
"Is she happy?"
"No."
"And you can just stand there and say that?!"
"I can't bring her father back from the dead. I can't make her family accept our marriage overnight." Akihiko put down the chart he suddenly didn't need on the counter. "And I can't stop her from loving you."
"Then what exactly are you doing?"
"Whatever I can. I'm giving her a shoulder to lean on."
There was a sense of dread growing in Yukari's stomach. "Don't tell me you're waiting for her to come to you to talk."
"...What's wrong with that?"
She was able to restrain her groan. "She's not going to do that, you know." She cast her mind around for something suitable. "That- that tower you in the center of the city would crumble before she did that."
Akihiko winced. "Pick a different example next time."
"Look, my point is that you're going to have to be the one to make her talk. She doesn't make the first move. I was always the one who-" Yukari stopped and looking away, her lips pressed together in a tight line.
"No offense meant, but I think I'll have to go with what I know."
"You let her go."
"You did too." He made it as an observation, not intending to hurt.
"Yeah, but I didn't wait for several years before trying to get her back."
Akihiko glared over at her. "You don't know anything about what happened back then."
"I was the one who picked up the pieces! I know enough!" Yukari shot back.
There was a moment of silence as Akihiko tried to pick his words. "I admit, I don't know how to act towards you. You slept with my fiancée-"
"I didn't just sleep with her. Don't downplay it like that."
Akihiko paused, then nodded. "Yes, you're right. I apologize. Still, you came here to try and get her back...but we parted too, and not on the best of terms. So I know how you're feeling right now."
"Getting your heart broken seems to be pretty universal."
"You're thinking of Roxas."
"Of course I am!"
"Roxas...probably didn't tell you the whole story. But I'm not here to defend myself about that."
"Did you love him?"
"...No." It was hard for him to admit that. "I could have, would have, with some time. I cared for him deeply. But...it wasn't love."
"You were waiting for Mitsuru."
"We said we wouldn't."
Yukari almost snorted. "Like that's ever stopped anyone."
"I...tried not to. I thought I wasn't. But-" Well, he always did have problems letting go of the past.
"Roxas is pretty broken up over it, you know."
"Yes. That's my responsibility.
"Oh please." Yukari rolled her eyes. "Did Mitsuru learn that from you or did you get it from her? Neither one of you is so great or so powerful that somehow everything is magically your fault or your "responsibility". How selfish! Roxas is responsible for his own heart, his own decisions....just like I am for mine...my decision to push her away...." Yukari trailed off, still flinching away from the idea of her guilt.
There was a pause, and then Akihiko pushed himself slightly away from the door. "You want a piece of advice?"
Yukari just looked at him.
"If you can stand it, move in with Mitsuru." He plowed steadily along, before she had a chance to object. "It may do you some good, and she n- she could use all the love she can get right now. So if you think you would help more than you would hurt...do it."
She thought it over, then said quietly, "I don't know if that's generous or stupid."
"It's probably both," he admitted.
"I haven't given up yet, you know."
"But I trust her."
"And if she betrays you?"
"She won't."
"Humor me, will ya?"
"If Mitsuru turned to me tomorrow and said that she was breaking off the engagement again and that was that? I would argue. I would fight against it. But if at the end of the day she told me to walk away..." He sighed. "I'd rather a life with Mitsuru in it, no matter what our relationship, than one without her."
Yukari stared at him. "Wait, wait. Back up a minute. If Mitsuru told you to walk away...you'd do it? You'd leave?"
Akihiko hesitated. "Well..."
"No, seriously, you'd do it?" Her tone was sharp.
"No," he snapped back. "No, I wouldn't, alright? I know I'm supposed to. That's the right thing to do, right? But I couldn't. I couldn't let her go again."
Akihiko walked out into his office's waiting room, finding it empty except for one brown-haired woman that he really didn't feel like seeing. He decided to preempt whatever she was there for.
"I'm sorry, I can't talk right now, I have an appointment with-"
"Fuuka Yamagishi, right? Yeah, that's me." Yukari sighed. "I borrowed a friend's name. You wouldn't have seen me otherwise, right?"
He was forced to admit that was true, but only to himself. Instead, he just nodded at her and took her to the examining room, closing the door behind them. "I'm guessing you didn't actually come here for a check-up, then," he said as he gestured her towards the bench, though he remained standing.
"No," she replied, sitting carefully. "I came here to talk about Mitsuru."
Akihiko sighed quietly. "Of course."
"Is she happy?"
"No."
"And you can just stand there and say that?!"
"I can't bring her father back from the dead. I can't make her family accept our marriage overnight." Akihiko put down the chart he suddenly didn't need on the counter. "And I can't stop her from loving you."
"Then what exactly are you doing?"
"Whatever I can. I'm giving her a shoulder to lean on."
There was a sense of dread growing in Yukari's stomach. "Don't tell me you're waiting for her to come to you to talk."
"...What's wrong with that?"
She was able to restrain her groan. "She's not going to do that, you know." She cast her mind around for something suitable. "That- that tower you in the center of the city would crumble before she did that."
Akihiko winced. "Pick a different example next time."
"Look, my point is that you're going to have to be the one to make her talk. She doesn't make the first move. I was always the one who-" Yukari stopped and looking away, her lips pressed together in a tight line.
"No offense meant, but I think I'll have to go with what I know."
"You let her go."
"You did too." He made it as an observation, not intending to hurt.
"Yeah, but I didn't wait for several years before trying to get her back."
Akihiko glared over at her. "You don't know anything about what happened back then."
"I was the one who picked up the pieces! I know enough!" Yukari shot back.
There was a moment of silence as Akihiko tried to pick his words. "I admit, I don't know how to act towards you. You slept with my fiancée-"
"I didn't just sleep with her. Don't downplay it like that."
Akihiko paused, then nodded. "Yes, you're right. I apologize. Still, you came here to try and get her back...but we parted too, and not on the best of terms. So I know how you're feeling right now."
"Getting your heart broken seems to be pretty universal."
"You're thinking of Roxas."
"Of course I am!"
"Roxas...probably didn't tell you the whole story. But I'm not here to defend myself about that."
"Did you love him?"
"...No." It was hard for him to admit that. "I could have, would have, with some time. I cared for him deeply. But...it wasn't love."
"You were waiting for Mitsuru."
"We said we wouldn't."
Yukari almost snorted. "Like that's ever stopped anyone."
"I...tried not to. I thought I wasn't. But-" Well, he always did have problems letting go of the past.
"Roxas is pretty broken up over it, you know."
"Yes. That's my responsibility.
"Oh please." Yukari rolled her eyes. "Did Mitsuru learn that from you or did you get it from her? Neither one of you is so great or so powerful that somehow everything is magically your fault or your "responsibility". How selfish! Roxas is responsible for his own heart, his own decisions....just like I am for mine...my decision to push her away...." Yukari trailed off, still flinching away from the idea of her guilt.
There was a pause, and then Akihiko pushed himself slightly away from the door. "You want a piece of advice?"
Yukari just looked at him.
"If you can stand it, move in with Mitsuru." He plowed steadily along, before she had a chance to object. "It may do you some good, and she n- she could use all the love she can get right now. So if you think you would help more than you would hurt...do it."
She thought it over, then said quietly, "I don't know if that's generous or stupid."
"It's probably both," he admitted.
"I haven't given up yet, you know."
"But I trust her."
"And if she betrays you?"
"She won't."
"Humor me, will ya?"
"If Mitsuru turned to me tomorrow and said that she was breaking off the engagement again and that was that? I would argue. I would fight against it. But if at the end of the day she told me to walk away..." He sighed. "I'd rather a life with Mitsuru in it, no matter what our relationship, than one without her."
Yukari stared at him. "Wait, wait. Back up a minute. If Mitsuru told you to walk away...you'd do it? You'd leave?"
Akihiko hesitated. "Well..."
"No, seriously, you'd do it?" Her tone was sharp.
"No," he snapped back. "No, I wouldn't, alright? I know I'm supposed to. That's the right thing to do, right? But I couldn't. I couldn't let her go again."