Risk It All (Chishiya X You)

heal my past, protect my future.

You'd agreed with Kuina to meet in a cafe close to home. You still weren't comfortable venturing too far away.

She's already there and waiting when you arrive, as usual ever since your freedom from the borderlands and the company behind it she was dressed beautifully, her style still so unique even now. She stood up as she saw you enter, the bell above the door signalling your arrival.

She held her arms out before awkwardly dropping them again, clearly unsure whether or not it was okay to initiate the intimate contact. "Hey."

It was only now, standing in front of her that you were hyper aware just how much you'd missed her. "If you don't hug me right now I think I'll cry."

"I miss you." She pulled you in for a hug, arms squeezing your middle. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't." You squeeze her back, confirming it is okay. "Don't apologise, let's sit."

She looked conflicted as she let go of you and took her seat. "I have to apologise, I'm so sorry for meddling. I wanted to help you but that wasn't my choice to make."

"I want to say it's okay but it's not. Even so, I don't want you to apologise, the past six months hurt but I needed it and I wouldn't have accepted that if you hadn't encouraged Chishiya to leave."

The waitress came over to take your order, you ordered a simple tea not wanting to have anything too solid considering the slight feeling of nausea that was still very much present.

"I'm still sorry. You were...are my friend. I never wanted to be the cause of your pain. Especially after we went through so much together."

Despite everything with Chishiya, Kuina had tried continuously to be there for you. "We did, I'm sorry I shut you out so much even though we went through everything together, I should have been a better friend to you but I couldn't see through my own pain and trauma."

She breathed carefully as though trying to compose herself. "You're here now, I'd like to be here for you too."

"I'd like that, friends?" You ask hopefully.

She reached her hand across the table, covering yours with her own. "You've always been my sister wherever we are."

"God I missed you." You squeezed her hand, smiling wide. "How are things with Ann?"

"They are good." You couldn't help but notice the way her cheeks flushed a dusty pink as she talked about the woman she loved. "She's been decorating the apartment, I thought I was detail-oriented but I think she's actually going to inspect every stroke of paint to make sure it matches. It's driving me insane."

You burst out in laughter at the far too-believable mental image her recap gave. "I'm so glad I'm not living with you. I haven't done much with the new place, it still doesn't feel like home."

The waitress brought over the tea, silently placing it on the table before slipping away again. "It felt like that for us too at first, I think adjusting to sharing the space was far more difficult than we had anticipated."

"I'm happy that you're happy." You'd never directly said that you were jealous or angry at Kuina for Chishiya leaving, you'd never spite her happiness because you were hurt but you knew it was difficult for her to talk about these things without feeling guilty. "I mean that Kuina, you deserve to be happy just as much as anyone else."

"That means a lot, especially coming from you." She picks up her mug before placing it back down, an anxious movement. "I don't feel as though it's fair for me to be happy when I know you aren't."

"I saw Chishiya yesterday, we spoke."

She sat back, unsure of what to say next. "He came to you?"

"No." You shook your head. "I literally stumbled into him after I tripped on the door at my therapy appointment."