[ well. obviously, the very first thing she does once she's been re-found, has her bracelet back, and realizes how long she was gone? she calls the girlfriends.
[ yukari is familiar with the sickening rush that accompanies the rug being pulled from underneath her feet. it's almost comfortable by now, feeling frozen and numb while the rest of the world continues on as if nothing has changed.
as if the most important person in the world didn't leave without saying goodbye.
it's darkly hilarious, really. of course minako would be taken away a few weeks after their anniversary. of course she would be gone when yukari is the happiest she's ever been. of course she would disappear when she catches herself thinking about a future that'll never be theirs, not ever, but there are dates and trips and holidays and more anniversaries on the ever brightening horizon.
then yukari was plunged into a darkness that seemed without end. time has slowed to a crawl, and sometimes she's not even sure if it's moving. all she's sure of is that the girl she loves isn't here. not much else matters.
when that familiar contact name pops up on her bracelet ("minako💕"), all of her thoughts comes to a screeching halt. could it--? god, please. please let one person come back to her.
she answers on the third ring, her voice is full of a hope she hasn't allowed herself in weeks. ]
[ minako can't begin to imagine how difficult this has been. she lets out a sigh of relief at the sound of yukari's voice, though it's nearly at the edge of a laughing sob. she nearly stumbles over the words, feeling an immense pressure to make this right and being all too aware that she's still a shuttle ride and some transit away from home. ]
Yeah, love, it's me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to just...
yukari feels a smile stretch across her face as she thaws all at once. ]
Don't, [ she breathes with a giggle that verges on manic, ] don't apologize. You're okay, you're okay, I just...Love, where are you? If you're back in the city, I'll come get you or--
No, I— [ she still feels like she needs to make this right somehow. needs to make up for just vanishing, leaving nothing but the crushing weight of knowing what awaits her if she's ever sent back for good. ]
I'm on Iris. At the government center. I'm catching the next shuttle down to the planet, okay?
[ there's nothing for minako nothing to fix. just her coming back has set the world right side up, set it moving again.
it's the only thing yukari has ever wanted. ]
Okay. [ she absently repeats 'okay' several more times as she tries to gather her wild thoughts. ] Then I can come meet you when you're back on the planet or...or anything, but I need to-- [ her voice breaks, another giggle bubbling up from deep in her chest. ]
I want to see you. How long until the next shuttle?
[ yukari switches to video as well, smile bright despite her puffy red eyes (or the dark bags underneath them). the half hour wait feels less torturous now that she has visual confirmation that minako is here. ]
Like you even have to ask. God, Minako, [ the edges of her mouth instinctively quirk up as she says her name, unable to and unwilling to hide her joy, ] you are getting kissed so hard when I see you.
[ if she were just coming back from a quick jaunt on iris, yukari might tease back with something like 'you should be looking forward to it' or 'who said i'd be waiting for you,' but her usual sharp tongue can only speak honey. ]
Funny. Pretty sure I'm picking up the prettiest girl in Lunatia.
[ oh, this is too good. yukari is going to push this as long as she can. ]
But she's the smartest, the kindest, the best at sneaking food off her girlfriend's plate.... If you want me to be quiet, you're gonna have to make me.
All's fair in love and war, Minako. You'll just have to deal. [ her own face heats up, but yukari doesn't mind the temporary embarrassment. she refuses to give up the chance to say how much she loves her ever again. ]
Everyone's been...fine, [ yukari can only assume so, anyway; she's barely had the energy to move around the house and have a borderline normal day much less keep track of the constant dramatics of the persona population of prisma, ] but...you know. None of it's been the same without you.
And Aigis was--.
[ she chews the inside of her cheek to give herself a moment to think. there'd been so many (too many) nights where neither of them would sleep, saying nothing as they huddled close to each other for comfort. how could she put into words what it was like watching the android grieve all over again? ]
She's gonna be even happier than me to know you're back. Have you called her?
Good, [ she sighs, shoulders slumping with relief. ] You know isn't letting you leave the house by yourself for the next three months, right?
[ her tone is light and fond, but the words are deathly serious. aigis is likely to keep track of her whereabouts at all times for the next year.
yukari might do the same. ]
Me too. I--I wouldn't want you to be alone. [ there's an unspoken 'again' that echoes over the phone. 'again' like when minako first arrived on prismatica surrounded by her teammates who saw her as a perfect stranger. the image of her or any of them coming back to an empty house breaks her heart. ] But it won't be too much longer 'til we're all back together. And then everything will finally get back to normal.
[ that comes out brightly enough. her smile falters a bit as yukari goes on, her expression growing more pensive. still, the thought of just getting home to the two people she loves most? what else matters right now? ]
Love you, Yukari. [ she just... wants to say it. ]
[ it's almost funny how easy it is. yukari had resisted the urge for months since the start, only daring to whisper them to minako when she thought she was asleep. saying them out loud, to her, meant a point of return.
[ yukari takes a deep breath, nodding in agreement. it's only 30 minutes. even if her heart is rebelling against the idea of being separated for that long, she can do that. ]
Okay. Better get going before all the window seats get taken. [ yes, she just said this a few seconds ago, but.... ]
Love you too. No matter what. [ she desperately wants to hold yukari, to kiss her, to tell her everything will be okay. some of that conflict definitely shows on her face. ]
Just... I'm still here, I'm alive, and I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'll see you when I land.
[ she stares at minako for a long moment, the same conflict brewing in her eyes. quietly, ] No matter what. I'll see you soon.
[ with that, she ends the call and immediately begins the mad rush of getting ready.
picking up someone from the airport is a new experience for yukari. her professors and friends in relationships have mentioned doing that for their friends or partners in passing, but it's never...clicked. there's too much permanency to it--a stable home to come back to and someone glad to see you--for her to grasp.
as she rushes out of the house dressed in one of their shared shirts and shorts, she isn't sure if she should be terrified or elated that it all makes sense now.
the train ride and navigation through the airport are more nerve wracking than anticipated, mind racing as glances at her bracelet every other minute. by some small miracle she arrives at the terminal few minutes before the shuttle lands and she fidgets in place, eyes scanning the crowd for a familiar redhead. ]
[ she disembarks the shuttle and comes through the gate as soon as it opens. minako looks around for yukari once she's through at the shuttle port, scanning almost frantically for her or aigis, and then—
there. yukari. minako starts moving towards her, quickly. ]
Yukari! [ she can't shake the grin on her face, waving an arm to get her attention. ]
[ yukari glances up at the sound of her name and her face splits into a wide grin. there she is, she's back-- ]
Minako! [ yukari rushes forward with large steps, squeezing past a few annoyed prismals and new arrivals, but she doesn't take any notice. like she cares about somebody grumbling "hey, watch where you're going" when her girlfriend is back. as soon as minako is within arm's reach, yukari fulfills her promise from earlier, kissing her as hard as possible while gently cupping her face. it's a kiss that feels like a long drink of water after escaping the desert, like the first bite of food after a fast.
after a long, long while, she pulls away with an even wider grin than before and rests her forehead against minako's. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
piercedyourheart) wrote2019-07-23 08:22 pm
let's call this tdm adjacent
ring ring, yukari. ]
here we fuckin go
as if the most important person in the world didn't leave without saying goodbye.
it's darkly hilarious, really. of course minako would be taken away a few weeks after their anniversary. of course she would be gone when yukari is the happiest she's ever been. of course she would disappear when she catches herself thinking about a future that'll never be theirs, not ever, but there are dates and trips and holidays and more anniversaries on the ever brightening horizon.
then yukari was plunged into a darkness that seemed without end. time has slowed to a crawl, and sometimes she's not even sure if it's moving. all she's sure of is that the girl she loves isn't here. not much else matters.
when that familiar contact name pops up on her bracelet ("minako💕"), all of her thoughts comes to a screeching halt. could it--? god, please. please let one person come back to her.
she answers on the third ring, her voice is full of a hope she hasn't allowed herself in weeks. ]
...Minako?
no subject
Yeah, love, it's me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to just...
no subject
it's her. it's actually her.
yukari feels a smile stretch across her face as she thaws all at once. ]
Don't, [ she breathes with a giggle that verges on manic, ] don't apologize. You're okay, you're okay, I just...Love, where are you? If you're back in the city, I'll come get you or--
no subject
I'm on Iris. At the government center. I'm catching the next shuttle down to the planet, okay?
no subject
it's the only thing yukari has ever wanted. ]
Okay. [ she absently repeats 'okay' several more times as she tries to gather her wild thoughts. ] Then I can come meet you when you're back on the planet or...or anything, but I need to-- [ her voice breaks, another giggle bubbling up from deep in her chest. ]
I want to see you. How long until the next shuttle?
no subject
It leaves in about half an hour. Meet me at the port when I land?
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Like you even have to ask. God, Minako, [ the edges of her mouth instinctively quirk up as she says her name, unable to and unwilling to hide her joy, ] you are getting kissed so hard when I see you.
no subject
I'm looking forward to it. [ her smile widens, yukari's joy is infectious. ] The prettiest girl in Lunatia, waiting just for me!
no subject
Funny. Pretty sure I'm picking up the prettiest girl in Lunatia.
no subject
I—you be quiet, okay? [ her tone is thoroughly fond, though. ]
no subject
But she's the smartest, the kindest, the best at sneaking food off her girlfriend's plate.... If you want me to be quiet, you're gonna have to make me.
no subject
Yukariiii, no fair! How am I supposed to do something about this??
no subject
All's fair in love and war, Minako. You'll just have to deal. [ her own face heats up, but yukari doesn't mind the temporary embarrassment. she refuses to give up the chance to say how much she loves her ever again. ]
...I can't wait 'til you come home.
no subject
ugh. minako loves this girl so much. it's horrible. ]
Neither can I. I really just want to sleep in my own bed for a while... [ crystal wilds on iris suck, yukari. ] Um—how's everyone else?
no subject
Everyone's been...fine, [ yukari can only assume so, anyway; she's barely had the energy to move around the house and have a borderline normal day much less keep track of the constant dramatics of the persona population of prisma, ] but...you know. None of it's been the same without you.
And Aigis was--.
[ she chews the inside of her cheek to give herself a moment to think. there'd been so many (too many) nights where neither of them would sleep, saying nothing as they huddled close to each other for comfort. how could she put into words what it was like watching the android grieve all over again? ]
She's gonna be even happier than me to know you're back. Have you called her?
no subject
I'm just glad you're both still here.
no subject
[ her tone is light and fond, but the words are deathly serious. aigis is likely to keep track of her whereabouts at all times for the next year.
yukari might do the same. ]
Me too. I--I wouldn't want you to be alone. [ there's an unspoken 'again' that echoes over the phone. 'again' like when minako first arrived on prismatica surrounded by her teammates who saw her as a perfect stranger. the image of her or any of them coming back to an empty house breaks her heart. ] But it won't be too much longer 'til we're all back together. And then everything will finally get back to normal.
[ as normal as it can be, anyway. ]
no subject
[ that comes out brightly enough. her smile falters a bit as yukari goes on, her expression growing more pensive. still, the thought of just getting home to the two people she loves most? what else matters right now? ]
Love you, Yukari. [ she just... wants to say it. ]
no subject
[ it's almost funny how easy it is. yukari had resisted the urge for months since the start, only daring to whisper them to minako when she thought she was asleep. saying them out loud, to her, meant a point of return.
and now? this was the only thing she wanted. ]
How long until the shuttle?
no subject
[ she sticks out her tongue a little, grinning. ]
Not too long. I should probably... [ she glances up at something offscreen. ]
I'm gonna go ahead and board. The flight shouldn't be that long. [ and she rattles off the gate. ]
no subject
Yeah, coming in from Iris is usually pretty quick so I'll go ahead and start heading over. [ she pauses, hesitant to hang up. ] See you soon...?
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Yeah. I'll see you soon, promise.
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Okay. Better get going before all the window seats get taken. [ yes, she just said this a few seconds ago, but.... ]
Love you.
no subject
Just... I'm still here, I'm alive, and I'm not going anywhere, okay? I'll see you when I land.
no subject
[ with that, she ends the call and immediately begins the mad rush of getting ready.
picking up someone from the airport is a new experience for yukari. her professors and friends in relationships have mentioned doing that for their friends or partners in passing, but it's never...clicked. there's too much permanency to it--a stable home to come back to and someone glad to see you--for her to grasp.
as she rushes out of the house dressed in one of their shared shirts and shorts, she isn't sure if she should be terrified or elated that it all makes sense now.
the train ride and navigation through the airport are more nerve wracking than anticipated, mind racing as glances at her bracelet every other minute. by some small miracle she arrives at the terminal few minutes before the shuttle lands and she fidgets in place, eyes scanning the crowd for a familiar redhead. ]
no subject
there. yukari. minako starts moving towards her, quickly. ]
Yukari! [ she can't shake the grin on her face, waving an arm to get her attention. ]
no subject
Minako! [ yukari rushes forward with large steps, squeezing past a few annoyed prismals and new arrivals, but she doesn't take any notice. like she cares about somebody grumbling "hey, watch where you're going" when her girlfriend is back. as soon as minako is within arm's reach, yukari fulfills her promise from earlier, kissing her as hard as possible while gently cupping her face. it's a kiss that feels like a long drink of water after escaping the desert, like the first bite of food after a fast.
after a long, long while, she pulls away with an even wider grin than before and rests her forehead against minako's. ]
Welcome home, love.