-All I Ask of You-

By: Fantasy Wings

Co-Authored By: kchan7853

Miyu Kouzuki.

It had been years since the name last rang in his ears. Ten years to be precise. It had been that long since she had left Japan to live with her parents. That long since their break-up. Many people asked, "What happened?". It seemed strange to them that the pair would break up permanently because of something as trivial as an argument. And now, Kanata held a pink unopened envelope in his hand, his name scribbled at the back by his ex-girlfriend. Miyu, whether he liked it or not, was getting married to some guy named Rabelais Takashima, a part French heir to a large and successful business corporation in Japan. Carefully, Kanata ripped open the envelope and glared at the message it contained. "December twenty-first," he read aloud the date written below. The wedding would be taking place in Heiomachi. Miyu certainly made sure of that. And as Kanata's eyes continued scanning the invitation, he caught sight of a loose piece of paper caught in the flaps of the envelope. "Kanata," a voice interrupted him before he had the chance to open the mysterious letter. Santa hurried into the temple, panting heavily from all the steps he had the privilege to climb in less than sixty seconds. "Kanata!" He repeated. Hurriedly, Kanata hid the letter in his pocket. Santa hadn't really changed much since high school. He still loved beachcombing, that much was certain. And he proved this with the lamp he had made out of colored broken glass, just like what he did more than a decade ago. "Hey, buddy." The wide-eyed boy yelled excitedly. He bent over, still a bit out of breath, but rushed Kanata to go get dressed. "What's going on?" Santa's eyes lit up. "Kanata, haven't you heard?" His smile grew wider, and at some point, creepier. "Miyu and her fiancée are here at Nanami's place!" The guy could hardly contain his excitement. "C'mon!" "What makes you think I wanna go?" He asked irritably, pulling away from Santa's grip on his arm. Kanata looked at the confused look on Santa's face. He was obviously puzzled by Kanata's reaction. He had never seen the guy act like that before. "Well," started Santa, evidently uncertain how to react to his response. "You guys have been friends since that whole UFO incident, and I don't know… I thought you would at least want to congratulate her..." Kanata looked up at his friend, his eyes gazing at him intently. "She's my ex-girlfriend, Santa." His voice stern. "Yeah, but I'm sure both of you have already moved on, right?" Santa muttered, hoping Kanata would change his mind and go to see Miyu. Kanata kept silent and stepped outside, leaving Santa to discover the answer for himself. Truthfully, he never meant to be so bitter about the whole relationship thing. He tried to move on, but something held him back. Maybe it was because they had never made up after they fought. Maybe he didn't want to move on, and he wanted to keep holding on...he was usually more realistic than most, but somehow, his past relationship with Miyu changed all that. He learned to hope, to dream, and to love. He had learned so much, only to throw these away after they drifted apart. It was painful. That evening, Kanata lay down in his room, his mind on the past. He recalled the day they fought. It was September twenty-second. Both of them had just gotten home from an afternoon of malling. And unfortunately, a discussion about when Miyu leaves for America turned into an argument--a shouting match, and the two broke up on the spot. Reflecting on it now, Kanata felt as if he overreacted that day. Maybe if he had learned to understand her, they would still be together. But Kanata never had the guts to apologize. At the time, he was still too full of himself. And Miyu, stubborn as she was, would certainly not go through any lengths to apologize. Maybe if they had apologized, they would still be together. And Kanata was not the emoting type. But as he realized all of this, a single tear fell down his face. His eyes widened, and wiped the darn thing off his face. If anybody were to see him-- oh, right. That was impossible. He was alone. As this thought came to mind, he felt that all-too-familiar pang in his heart. His throat hurt, and his chest tightened painfully. He sighed as he tried in vain to fall asleep. His mind was running a mile a minute, and he knew it was hopeless to even try...

December twenty-first finally arrived. And still, Kanata asked himself if he should even go to Miyu's wedding. "You guys have been friends since that whole Ruu incident, and I don't know… I thought you would at least want to congratulate her..." Santa's words echoed in his mind. "Sorry," Kanata murmured. He wanted to go. Truly, he wanted to see Miyu walk down the aisle to the man she would be spending the rest of her life with. But in his heart, Kanata secretly wished that the man was him. But there was no turning back now. He had his chance with Miyu. Ten years wasted on a quarrel never resolved. Kanata suddenly remembered the letter he had spied inserted in the invitation. Hurriedly, as if someone would come and take it away, he reached into the pockets of his jacket, which sat on a chair as if waiting for him to get the darn letter already.

Kanata,

I know. It's been ten years since we last saw each other. But I often thought of you, you know. I often thought of what we could have been. I know this is a little late, but I wanted to say 'sorry'. I know my usual stubbornness can lead us to many unfortunate situations, especially while Ruu was around. But please, Kanata. I won't be coming back to Japan any time soon. Maybe in a few years, but not at the present time. So please attend this wedding. I only wish to see you for what may be the last time. This is all I ask of you.

Miyu

Kanata put down the piece of paper, his eyes trying desperately to not let the tears fall down his face. He was not the emoting type, and he sure didn't want to start now! But darn it! In every situation, people could always count on Miyu to confuse them! "There better be good food at the reception," Kanata muttered. Grabbing his coat and his car keys, he headed over to the Heiomachi chapel. He was the only guy who wasn't wearing a tuxedo, and when Santa saw him, he smiled. "Hey, buddy. Nice to know you came." Kanata nodded his head and looked for the bride. He saw her, more beautiful than she had ever been. Her long blonde hair ran down her back, and her eyes were shining like the emeralds they really were. Her face seemed to have been glowing. And when Miyu saw Kanata, she smiled. She beckoned for Kanata to come close to her. And Kanata obediently followed—that was a first. "Kanata," Miyu spoke, her voice sweeter than the last time he had heard it. "I'm glad you came."

As the ceremony wore on, Kanata could feel his heart beat faster. This feeling was made even more complicated as Rabelais brought his lips down on Miyu's.

(Kanata's POV:)

I watched him kiss her. And I desperately tried to suppress the tears in my eyes that were attempting to get out. And at those moments, my heart seemed to have shattered to pieces. My heart ached for its loss—Miyu—the only woman I had ever loved—belonged to another man, now. I forced a smile about my lips as Santa came up behind me.

"Glad you've moved on, man." He spoke.

"I am, too." I answered, nodding my head, and smiling at the beautiful bride walking down to her father's arms.

(End of POV)

Short Epilogue:
Kanata eventually married Akira, his childhood friend. He and Miyu chat often, and these moments were what hurt them the most. In their hearts, although they denied it to themselves and never told this to anybody else, they still loved one another. They always had. And they always will.